WORCESTERSHIRE V DURHAM AT KIDDERMINSTER
Tipped by many to be title contenders this year, Durham picked up their first win of the campaign, felling Worcestershire by 185 runs at Kidderminster. Not disheartened by the absence of overseas seamer Scott Boland, who sat out the match as a precautionary measure before ultimately being ruled out for the season, the Durham pace attack proved too strong for Worcestershire as Paul Coughlin took seven in the match, while Ben Raine and Matthew Potts bagged five apiece.
Winning the toss and batting first, Durham were bowled out for 244 in their first innings with Ollie Robinson top scoring with 55 as Jason Holder and Adam Finch both picked up three-fors for the home side. In reply, Worcestershire made 184, Coughlin, Raine and Potts each taking three, with the only real resistance coming in the form of 61 from Jake Libby.
Durham’s second innings was the David Bedingham show. The South African smashed 138 from 99 balls with eight sixes as Durham declared on 397-5. Borthwick (75), Robinson (67*) and Clark (50*) all registered half-centuries.
A target of 458 was always going to be too much for the Pears who were eventually all out for 272 as Coughlin took 4-45. 62 from Matthew Waite as well as fifties for Nathan Smith (57) and Libby (50) weren’t enough to keep the Durham pacers at bay as the men from the North East claimed victory inside three days.
Durham Head Coach Ryan Campbell praised his seamers after the match: “The one that stands out for me is Paul Coughlin,” he said.
“He has been with us for a while and has been unlucky with his injuries. He has had a wonderful pre-season but probably wouldn’t have played if Scott Boland was available. Paul came in, needed to do a big job for us and he, as well as Matthew Potts and Ben Raine, were outstanding.”
SOMERSET V NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AT TAUNTON
A record stand of 392 between Joe Clarke (213*) and Will Young (174*) took the headlines from a drawn match at Taunton with the Nottinghamshire pair looking on course for a 400 partnership before heavy rain washed out the majority of day four in the southwest.
Having already broken a record for the club’s highest partnership for the third wicket, which had stood since 1903, Clarke and Young were just 15 runs shy of surpassing the record stand for any Notts wicket, 406 between Darren Bicknell and Guy Welton against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 2000.
Calling correctly and batting first, Notts were bowled out for 193, the Somerset seamers welcoming the return of the Dukes ball as Craig Overton (3-57) and Lewis Gregory (2-19) were happy to see movement in the air and off the pitch.
The home side then piled up a big lead, racking up 454 with half centurie
