Durham match thread 2023

[captaincolly]

A ball change.

[captaincolly]

Raine continuing to channel his inner Jonty Rhodes with another catch off Kuhnemann. 92/4.

[captaincolly]

Kuhnemann again. 93/5.

[Durhamfootman]

I missed the 4th, but it was a carbon copy of the 3rd. I got excited with the 5th because I thought it was dolly

[Durhamfootman]

A ball change.

It got thumped into the pavilion. Hit something hard

[Durhamfootman]

George Khluney earning his corn. Suddenly we had men all around the bat

There seems little likelihood of worcs trying to chase this now, so I imagine it’ll be spin at one end and attacking fields

[Durhamfootman]

That dismissal of roderick was the first time George beat the bat

That declaration looks fully justified now, in fairness

[Arthur Crabtree]

Spinner wins it for Durham. At home in April. Great signing!

[Durhamfootman]

he grew in confidence throughout the innings. He started off going at 5 an over and ended up with a 5fer and an econ of 2 an over.

Some cracking catches by Ben Raine, btw. They were all tough chances involving running hard and diving, easily spillable, but he clung on to all of them

[Durhamfootman]

It got a bit twitchy as the last partnership survived 14 of the 20 remaining overs, but we bowled well today on a placid pitch

We set Worcs what I thought was a hugely generous target... 314 in 70 overs, but they didn't seem particularly interested in chasing it down. Had Worcs set about going hard for the win (and it was only just over 4 and a half an over required after we'd scored 160 runs in a session without particularly going full Stokes at it), then I could see us being gifted a few wickets, but they never really did, so they had to be winkled out and in the last couple of years we've not been able to do that. I think that's what impressed me the most today.

I've banged the drum for a few years about getting a decent overseas spinner in and now that we finally have, I'm pleased it's made the difference. Last year we'd give ourselves the whole of day 4 to take 10 wickets and only manage to get 2 or 3 of them.

he didn't toss the ball up at any stage, just kept firing it in, but then I suppose the conditions weren't there to toss it up, so he did well all things considered

[Durhamfootman]

Impossibe to find fault with anything today

we got the declaration right, scoring enough runs and then sneaking in a couple of overs before lunch, picking up wickets immediately before and immediately after the break. Borthwick batted really well for his ton, Coughlin had a good game batting at a time where the game was in the balance and then picking up the prized wicket of Pollock in his first over. Raine batted well in that same part of the match, and took those magnificent catches

I don't know if the capt noticed, but that final wicket came after Kuhnemann changed ends

Matty Potts was still off target for much of this innings, but he did find his radar eventually, so doubtless, now that he's just started to find a bit of form, the ECB will pull him out of the game against Glamorgan on Thursday.

[Durhamfootman]

even the weather helped us

bright sunshine when we batted and steadily overcast all afternoon, with the floodlights needed for the last hour

these things count at the Riverside

[KingOttis]

Hell's teeth! Just got in to an unexpected result. Well played lads, and well judged attacking declaration. Plus plenty of runs and a spinner bowling us to victory. Strange days indeed...Cue ridiculous over optimism until the start of the next match...

[captaincolly]

I thought the declaration was reckless given we had no problems rattling along at 6 an over. Very happy to be proved wrong!
Agree entirely with DFM, pretty much the perfect performance today. Borthwick said the plan was a 320 lead and to declare just before lunch, a perfectly executed plan.
Having a quality spinner makes such a difference.

[Durhamfootman]

George Kluhney has 12 wickets in 2 matches.... 6 in each

we'd have drawn this match last year