Bedingham Century Frustrates Running Foxes
Thu 14 Apr 2022
A superb unbeaten century from David Bedingham frustrated Leicestershire on the opening day of the County Championship clash at Emirates Riverside.
Bedingham (184*) and Sean Dickson (120) put on a 231-run partnership to rescue the hosts from 33-3, after early inroads from the Running Foxes’ attack. Ed Barnes took three, Will Davis took two, and Chris Wright, who limped off in the afternoon session, took one.
Captain Colin Ackermann won the toss and asked the hosts to bat on the opening morning in the North East, as the Running Foxes made three changes to the side that earned a dramatic final day draw at home to Worcestershire last time out.
Lewis Hill missed out with a thumb injury sustained during the first innings of that match, deputised by Nick Welch, who was making his first-class debut for Leicestershire. The other two alterations saw Louis Kimber and Will Davis in for Ben Mike and Callum Parkinson.
Durham were boosted by the arrival of South African talisman Keegan Petersen. However, after making his England Test debut in the West Indies last month and scoring an unbeaten 182 in the season opener at Glamorgan last week, the Running Foxes attack may have been relieved to see Alex Lees’ name absent from the teamsheet.
Leicestershire capitalised on their decision to bowl first, getting off to a strong start when Wright wrapped Michael Jones on the pads for five, having shouldered arms at a delivery that nipped back into the opener.
A second swiftly followed, and it was a crucial scalp. Petersen inside edged onto his stumps to be bowled by Davis for three, leaving Durham 17-2.
The Running Foxes maintained a tight start to proceedings before they picked up their third of the morning. This time Barnes was the man to get in on the act, after Durham skipper Borthwick edged behind and his counterpart Ackermann duly obliged with the catch.
That wicket brought dangerman Bedingham to the crease, who, along with Dickson, changed the course of the innings firmly in the hosts’ favour. The two saw off the new ball to take lunch on 65 for three.
The partnership passed 50 shortly after lunch, before the Leicestershire attack was dealt a huge blow. Wright pulled up with a niggle after his follow through midway through an over and was forced to leave the field.
The loss stifled County’s morning momentum, with the two Durham batsman beginning to accelerate the scoring rate. So much so, they took tea on 227 without a further wicket lost, as the pair seemed untroubled on a flattening pitch.
Having seen Bedingham go to his century shortly before the tea break, Dickson followed suit with a single from the first ball after the resumption. The duo put on 231 runs before the partnership was eventually broken, Dickson falling LBW to Barnes for 120.
With the new ball in hand, Leicestershire struck again. Former Running Fox Ned Eckersley became the latest LBW victim, this time to Davis with the score on 292.
Five overs later, Liam Trevaskis snicked behind to give Barnes his third wicket of the day, before the imperious Bedingham (184*) and another former Running Fox in Ben Raine (12*), guided Durham to stumps on 356-6.
Play resumes tomorrow morning at 11am.
