Finally, finally, finally, Durham have the win. That was a mighty fine last wicket stand between Ben Brown, who farmed the strike for his 60, and Linley, who looked like he didn’t want to have the strike farmed away from him as he made 21. But Badger Borthwick did the trick, getting Brown leg before. Huge leap from the Badge as Ump Wharf’s finger went up.
So that’s that, and Durham win by 178, and they deserve a margin that big, frankly. Thanks for your company BTL (and in person, actually) over the last four days. Just a couple of days off now and then I’m at Uxbridge on Sunday. See you all there.
Borthwick is really ticking here. We’re into the 14th over after the new ball could have been taken and he and Pringle are going well. Borthwick took Dockrell’s outside edge with a lovely, classical leggie a short while ago and I wouldn’t bet against him picking up the last two. Borthwick – who his team-mates call Badger because he’s just, well, a cricket badger – spins the ball furiously between his two hands as he strolls in and gives it some real zip. Just great to watch.
And another! So collingwood persevered without the new ball and, in the 88th over, has his reward. Borthwick tempts Shahzad down the track, and Richardson completes the stumping. Cracking leg spin. Three required and four men round the bat. Millions of runs still needed for Sussex.
Oh my, that’s huge. Absolute disaster for Sussex.
Wells’ brilliant innings is over as he’s caught at slip by Collingwood off Pringle, just eight balls before the new ball was due. Sussex had continued the good work since lunch, and the ball before, Wells had flicked Pringle nonchalantly to leg for four. Complexion of the scorecard, with 60-odd overs to survive, has been completely altered by that wicket.
And then another! Wright has been done in the flight by Borthwick, who takes a super diving caught and bowled. It’s down to Ben Brown and the injured Ajmal Shahzad now. Wright made 49 and had looked so good.
There’s a superb ton for Luke Wells. He goes there by bunting a Borthwick full-bunger through the covers for his 18th four. It came in 216 minutes, is his first of the season and is just what the doctors of Sussex have been ordering. As I’ve said, there have been six glorious straight drives off the seamers and another off Borthwick. Wright’s ticking along nicely too, he’s looked in good nick of late. Colly has given up bowling to give Ryan Pringle a go from the Castle End, and his first ball was pumped through the covers by Wright for four. That said, Wells has just padded up to Pringle, who had a huge LBW shout turned down by umpire Lloyds.
And that’s lunch with Sussex 233 for four. They still require 291. New ball is due in six and it can’t come soon enough for Durham. There’s 65 more overs in the match, by my watch, and all three results are *theoretically* possible.
Wright and Wells are looking good. The latter has moved to 87 and has hit six, yes six, stunning straight drives for four this morning alone. That’s outrageous. He was sort of dropped by Borthwick at second on 73 but it can barely have carried and was the kind of take that only brilliant slippers like Borthwick managed once in ten, I reckon. It’s 189 for four and Colly and Borthwick are having a bowl, which is always fun. Sussex need 325, nominally.
Interestingly – Wells hasn’t been going that well with the bat this year, but of spinners, only Jeetan Patel has more Division One wickets. He quietly picked up five in this match.
Something worth your while from Geoff Lemon of the Nightwatchman:
Lordy, that’s soft. Nash had edged through the slips on 0 and survived a huge Hastings LBW shout (going over) on 4 but was looking comfy against Onions, who he’d milked for eight the over before. Milking Onions sounds like a particularly unpleasant Polish cooking technique, doesn’t it?
Anyway, I digress. Nash has just slapped Onions straight to Rushworth at mid on and Sussex are right up against it at 150 for four. Wells looked less than impressed and is going nicely on 69 (Collingwood still has a five-man cordon for him). He’s produced three stunning straight drives today and is joined by Luke Wright, who was looking extremely relaxed when I just walked past the pavilion, regaling some tale or another as the youngsters hung on to his every word.
That’s the first! In the fourth over of the day, John Hastings, from around the wicket at the Castle End, gets one to move away from Joyce, who obliges with the nick. Richardson does the rest. It’s 125 for three and Nash (who has been ill) has come out in his stead. Rushworth’s bowling at the other end. I said BTL a short while ago that getting the lefties out was key. The nasty patch is just outside off for the right-hander facing bowlers from the Castle End. The bowlers know where that is and Wells is the last southpaw of note.
In other news, Luke Wells is looking good. He’s added eight, one lovely flick and a beautiful straight drive. Sussex hopes rest with him going big.
Morning all, it’s the final day of a pulsating round and once again I’m on my tod on the live-blog.
Just two games left standing, and both look result-y, which is good. I’m a bit sad that it’s my final day at Arundel, which is looking sun-drenched and as resplendent as it has at any stage this week. A quite glorious cricket ground, as some of you found out when visiting earlier in the week (thanks again for the cake). I think I’ve settled on the famous gap as my favourite view, but the sight of the soaring cathedral rising above the trees when standing at the Park End and the castle poking through when you’re next to the scoreboard are both spectacular. Everything is green and everything is perfect. It’s official: the Duke of Norfolk’s cricket ground is better than your cricket ground.
At Guildford, Surrey have two second innings wickets left and a lead of 245 against Glamorgan after Arun Harinath scored twin tons and Graham Wagg produced some absurdity on the third day. Vikram Solanki is on 33* and if Surrey want to set a target that Wagg won’t just laugh at, they’ll need Vikram to add a fair few more. And here at Arundel, Durham are well-placed, even if the pitch has flattened out since a crazy first two days. Only six wickets fell yesterday and Sussex are still 400 in arrears after Durham turned a lead of 113 for four, into a target of 514, which is good going and owes Gordon Muchall a good deal of thanks. His was a magnificent century. If Sussex are to survive – surely they can’t win (although a tad over four an over all day does that) – much rests on the overnight pair. Luke Wells is 53 and Ed Joyce is, well, Ed Joyce.
For the third consecutive morning I’ve just watched the Durham lads warm up with a game of football and feel in a position to draw some definite conclusions. Graham Onions is wasteful in possession, Ryan Pringle is a goal-hanger, Paul Collingwood was born to lead men (very vocal indeed), Scott Borthwick is the midfield engine room and John Hastings is the biggest man I’ve ever seen. The sight of the latter two grappling for the ball was absolutely hilarious: you’re not winning that one, Scotty.
Anyway, enjoy the cricket. Look forward to hearing from you all.
Morning all,
Today we have Will Macpherson at Arundel for Sussex v Durham. Here’s a link to his report from yesterday:
County Championship roundup
Somerset lifted themselves from the foot of Division One with a rousing victory over Nottinghamshire at Taunton, having been in a perilous position for much of the match. The 127 required for victory were knocked off but not without drama, as three of their five standing wickets – including the two set and recognised batsmen – fell for 16 runs with 20 still required. But the No10, Abdur Rehman, completed the job with three boundaries in four deliveries off the 19-year-old Matthew Carter, who ended with match figures of 10 for 195 on his first-class debut. Continue reading
Enjoy the cricket
