Durham reach 172 for three on shortened day
Sat 15 Aug 2020
DAY ONE | Leicestershire CCC v Durham CCC
SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE
REPORT | Leicestershire CCC faced Durham CCC in the third round of the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy campaign, making three changes to the team that faced Derbyshire CCC last week.
Ben Slater was recalled to the Nottinghamshire squad which saw Leicestershire Academy Graduate Sam Evans come into the team. Ben Mike and Chris Wright were rested with Tom Taylor and Gavin Griffiths coming into the squad.
Colin Ackermann won the toss and elected to bowl first on an overcast day at the FCG. Taylor got the day underway bowling to Lees.
Early inroads were made to leave the visitors struggling at 17 for two. Opener Sean Dickson, on 4, poked at a Dieter Klein delivery and edged a simple catch to wicket-keeper Harry Swindells, and then Cameron Steel, on just 1, edged an out-swinger from Griffiths to Hassan Azad at first slip.
Klein with the early wicket of Dickson
Lees and Bedingham formed a good alliance, with the left-hander driving well down the ground and Bedingham scored quickly, with the ball racing across the fast outfield.
The Running Foxes bowlers put the ball in good areas and created opportunities, with Bedingham surviving an inside edge off Taylor and when he advanced to the slow left arm of Callum Parkinson.
Durham recovered to 99/2 by lunch and the duo extended their alliance to three figures after the interval, each posting fifty.
Bedingham was the first to his half-century, made off 70 balls, and reached by lofting Ackermann for six over mid-wicket. Lees followed in a more circumspect manner soon afterwards, off 103 deliveries.
The occasional ball was turning for the spinners, but Ackermann turned back to his seamers.
Bedingham continued to prosper, but on 96 and looking for the boundary required to bring up his century, edged a drive at a Taylor out-swinger and the skipper took a neat catch low to his left at second slip. It meant Leicestershire CCC claimed their first bowling point.
Taylor with the wicket of Bedingham
As the session wore on, there was a shower, resulting in tea being taken slightly early with Durham at 176 for three.
Conditions improved enough for umpires Nick Cook and Neil Mallender to consider a restart but heavier rain then arrived. A decision to abandon the day’s play arrived at 5.30pm.
Figures (1st inns) | Taylor 11-2-25-1, Klein 10-0-39-1, Griffiths 13-2-42-1, Davis 4-0-19-0, Parkinson 9-2-23-0, Ackermann 5-1-17-0.
TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Harry Dearden, Colin Ackermann (c), George Rhodes, Harry Swindells (wk), Tom Taylor, Callum Parkinson, Dieter Klein, Will Davis, Gavin Griffiths.
Durham CCC | Alex Lees, Sean Dickson, Cameron Steel, David Bedingham, Gareth Harte, Jack Burnham, Ned Eckersley (c & wk), Paul Coughlin, Brydon Carse, Ben Raine, Matthew Salisbury.
IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.
