Former England middle-order batsman slams century to enhance possibility of returning to the international fold. What sort of story is that? It will never run. At least it will not if that batsman happens to be Paul Collingwood. The only way he will return to the fold is as some sort of addition to the coaching staff.
Collingwood is 38 but he has been gambolling around Taunton for the last two days like a spring lamb. On Sunday he conjured five victims out of a pale blue sky, his first five-wicket haul for a decade; on Monday there was a superbly crafted unbeaten century. He is supposed to be past his prime and heading for territory in which one tells others how to do it rather than doing it oneself. But he has seldom batted better than this.
There were very few tricky moments for Collingwood although he was dropped behind the stumps by Alex Barrow as he neared three figures. At the start he had to contend with Jamie Overton’s pace; a well-directed bouncer (some were not) had him jerking out of the way at the last millisecond. Then he was back into line respectful of Overton’s speed but also reassured that his reflexes were still sharp enough to pick up the ball. There is always that nagging doubt at his time of life.
Otherwise Collingwood feasted on some inconsistent Somerset bowling. Towards the end of his innings, when he was batting with the tail, he was positively skittish, nipping down the track to crack a straight six or flicking the ball deftly to fine-leg. His unbeaten 109 enabled Durham to take a decisive 81-run first-innings lead, an advantage that was driven home with gusto as Somerset floundered to 54 for four at the close. Collingwood may be able to drive the team bus back to Durham a day early.
There were other handy contributions. Scott Borthwick, after a lightning start to his innings on Sunday, fell lbw to Overton six runs short of a century. Michael Richardson looked more relaxed than his father, Dave, has been recently (he is chief executive of the ICC) and Calum MacLeod batted far more fluently than he ever did for Scotland in the World Cup.
Lewis Gregory snaffled five Durham wickets without delivering a single maiden, taking five for 99 from 21 overs, figures that tell the story. There were some potent deliveries from this talented young all-rounder but lots of wayward ones as well.
Then the Durham opening bowlers gave a demonstration to their opponents of how to use the new ball on a Taunton pitch which has considerable pace given the time of year. Chris Rushworth, his bald pate gleaming in the evening sunshine, caused havoc in the final 90 minutes with Graham Onions a willing accomplice.
First Rushworth bowled Marcus Trescothick, who was not attempting a stroke; Johann Myburgh, a first-innings centurion, was lbw and James Hildreth edged when driving away from his body. Meanwhile Onions dispatched Tom Cooper, caught behind. All the while Collingwood looked on contentedly from first slip except when he dropped a catch, which at least confirmed his mortality. He has controlled this match from the moment he took hold of the ball on the first afternoon.
