Day 4 Nottinghamshire 481/7 dec beat Durham 227 & 194
Durham fell to an innings defeat to Nottinghamshire in the ECB Second XI Championship with Farhan Ahmed and James Hayes starring for the visitors on day four.
Durham began play on day 4 at 177 for nine with Sebastian Alisson unbeaten on 15 and Ben McKinney scoreless. The pair sought to arrest Nottinghamshire’s momentum as they shared a 50-run partnership from 141 deliveries.
Their attempts to avoid the follow-on were denied, however, when McKinney flicked Tom Loten’s delivery to Freddie McCann at short midwicket on 28 leaving Durham 254 runs behind.
The visitors asked Durham to bat again as they pushed for a final day victory. Durham responded positively, making it to 26 without loss after six overs at lunch.
Ross Whitfield continued his positivity after the break as he struck three early boundaries. Harry Crawshaw was first to be dismissed as he failed to punish a short ball from James Hayes, instead feathering through to Dane Schadendorf for 10.
43 for one soon turned into 47 for two as Whitfield drove Toby Pettman’s delivery aerially to Tom Loten at mid-on for 32, Durham’s best score in the second innings. Jonathan Bushnell and Haydon Mustard stopped further wickets falling temporarily as they shared a 35-run partnership.
Both batters fell in quick succession and in similar fashion as Bushnell edged Farhan Ahmed’s delivery to Sam King at slip before Fateh Singh’s delivery found Mustard’s edge on its way to Sam Seecharan in the slip cordon, giving Nottinghamshire wickets in back-to-back overs.
Ahmed had his second when George Drissell defended outside off stump only for the ball to end up in McCann’s hands at short leg. Durham were soon six down when Luke Doneathy pulled a Hayes delivery to Byron Jon Hatton-Lowe in the deep.
James Hayes then took a third wicket as he had Stanley McAlindon caught and bowled for two to leave Durham 114 for seven. McKinney and Alisson partnered each other for the second time of the day and were defiant in defence as they attempted to rescue a draw for Durham.
McKinney was unstuck when Farhan Ahmed’s delivery struck him on the pad. Nottinghamshire crowded fielders around the bat as they searched for victory and were on step close as Alisson could only fend off to one of two kneeling slip fielders to leave the visitors just one wicket away.
Will Gidman came out to partner Harry Lumsden as Durham’s last chance to save a draw. Gidman was positive in his approach, punishing the spin of Ahmed and Singh when possible; Lumsden took a more measured approach for his unbeaten 20 from 68 balls.
The game reached its climax when the pair had made a 54-run partnership, Gidman attempted to cut Ahmed’s delivery into the off side, however it went straight through him as he was bowled for 29. Nottinghamshire were victorious by an innings and 60 runs.
Day 3 Nottinghamshire 481/7 dec (118.5) Durham 177/9 (53.1)
Durham endured a difficult Day 3 of their Second XI championship game against Nottinghamshire, as the visitors piled on the runs before claiming nine wickets at close of play at The Racecourse Ground.
Resuming on 246-4 from Day 1 after no play was possible yesterday due to rain, Sammy King and Sam Seecharan proceeded to add to their overnight scores. King made his way to 130 before Stanley McAlindon ended his time at the crease, the batter pulling a short delivery to Luke Doneathy on the leg side.
Tom Loten joined Seecharan at the crease, and the pair quickly put together a 50 partnership off 44 deliveries. Loten made 35 before George Drissell picked up his second wicket of the game, deceiving the batter with a flighted delivery that cleaned up his stumps. Fateh Singh was the next batter in, and he proceeded to add another rapid 50 partnership with Seecharan in just 23 balls.
Singh reached his half-century off 39 deliveries, dealing almost exclusively in boundaries before Seecharan reached three figures off 173 balls, hitting seven fours and five maximums. Seecharan’s innings was ended shortly after as Harry Crawshaw bowled him for his first wicket and Nottinghamshire promptly declared on 481/7.
The visitors picked up their first wicket early on as Crawshaw edged a Toby Pettman delivery to wicketkeeper Dane Schadendorf. Nottinghamshire quickly had a second, Ross Whitfield losing his off stump to a James Hayes delivery that left Durham 6-2 after just 3.3 overs.
Haydon Mustard and Jonny Bushnell tried to stem the flow of wickets, but Mustard edged behind to Schadendorf to give Pettman his second wicket. That brought Luke Doneathy out to join Bushnell, and he tried to apply some pressure back onto the visitors as he scored 12 quick runs off Heyes to move himself to 14.
However, Hayes got the better of Doneathy as he chipped a delivery to midwicket to leave Durham in trouble at 38-4 in the 12th over. George Drissell joined Busnell at the crease and the pair set about trying to build a meaningful partnership.
The pair added 32 before Bushnell was given out LBW after attempting to sweep Fateh Singh for 26, and Drissell edged a Singh delivery to short leg to depart for 27.
Stanley McAlindon was bowled by Farhan Ahmed for 9 before Daniel Hogg edged to slip off Singh for 6 as Nottinghamshire pressed home their advantage.
Due to injuries and illness, 2nd team head coach Will Gidman was required to bat which saw him saw him produce a counter-attacking knock scoring his 50 from 53 deliveries, adding 83 with Sebastian Allison before Gidman departed for 62 as Durham ended on 177/9, trailing by 304 runs.
Day 2 – no play possible due to rain.
Day 1 Nottinghamshire 246/4 (72)
Durham take four wickets on day one of Second XI Championship match against Nottinghamshire with Daniel Hogg, Stanley McAlindon and George Drissell claiming one apiece, with Ben Slater and Sam King leading the way for Nottinghamshire.
Day 1 of Durham 2XI v Nottinghamshire 2XI in the ECB Second XI Championship eventually got underway at 13:40 after heavy rain on Sunday night prevented play during the morning session.
Once umpires Barbir Noor and Neem Ashraf deemed conditions were fit to play, Nottinghamshire won the toss and elected to bat, with Daniel Hogg striking in the third over, yorking Ben Martindale for 10 as the Notts opener lost his middle stump.
Durham soon had their second wicket in unusual fashion as Dane Schadendorf tripped attempting a run which was hit into the covers by Ben Slater, with the visitors 20/2 in the fifth.
Durham’s third dismissal was that of Freddie McCann in the 23rd over with the score on 61. The 18-year-old scored just three from 36 balls leading up to his wicket and succumbed to a short ball from Stanley McAlindon as he pulled towards Jonathan Bushnell in the deep for 12.
Durham were made to be patient for another breakthrough as the experienced Ben Slater and youthful Sam King forged a 126 run partnership for the fourth wicket. Ben McKinney took a low slip catch off George Drissell’s bowling to put the visitors 187 for four in the 58th as Slater fell for 84.
Durham were unable to take further wickets as Nottinghamshire’s batters continued to accrue vital first innings runs. King, alongside Sam Seecharan combined for an unbeaten stand of 59 to strengthen the visitors’ position.
King brought up his ton on the penultimate delivery of the day, striking the ball to the fence for his 15th boundary from 161 deliveries. Seecharan ended the day with 15, as Nottinghamshire ended day one with 246 on the board from 72 overs.