Durham 384 & 4-0 beat Gloucestershire 137 & 250 by 10 wickets
Durham (22 pts) Gloucestershire (3 pts)
Durham took just six deliveries to seal a ten-wicket victory against Gloucestershire at the Banks Homes Riverside and take another big step towards promotion back to the top flight and the Rothesay County Championship Division Two title.
With second-placed Kent and third-placed Northamptonshire playing each other in this round of matches, Durham’s seventh win of the season seems certain to take the leaders further ahead at the top of the table with four games to play, while Gloucestershire remain firmly rooted to the foot after suffering their ninth defeat in ten.
Needing four runs to win, Durham sent in Matthew Potts and Ollie Robinson to open their second innings, and it was Potts who hit the winning boundary off some gentle off spin from Ollie Price from the final ball of the first over.
It was another convincing victory by the hosts with David Bedingham providing the batting highlight, making a superb century, his fifth Championship century this year, with his innings of 122 taking the South African overseas batter to within 57 runs of 1,000 runs for the season.
That followed a five-wicket haul for Kasey Aldridge as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 137 on the opening day where James Bracey’s battling 60 providing the main resistance.
After Durham had established a 247-run first innings lead, Aldridge struck again with 4-47 to finish with match figures of 9-63 to complete a fine display.
Brydon Carse chipped in with four important wickets and the inclusion of Carse, Ben Stokes and Matthew Potts headlined the quality on show in this match to highlight the strength of the competition.
Miles Hammond made 58 as Gloucestershire’s 250 took the visitors just ahead on the third evening before bad light prevented Durham hitting the four runs required until this morning.
Durham travel to Northampton while Gloucestershire return to Bristol to play Derbyshire, who they defeated by ten wickets back in April, in the next round of matches starting on Wednesday.
Bad light prevented Kasey Aldridge’s superb nine-wicket match haul from delivering league leaders Durham a three-day Rothesay County Championship win over bottom side Gloucestershire at Banks Homes Riverside.
A devastating burst of four for 47 from the seam-bowling all-rounder backed up his first innings five-for, but the hosts’ victory charge will roll into day four with only four to win as the weather meant their chase could not begin before close.
At the start of the day, Durham’s tail boosted their first-innings total to 384 – a lead of 247 – thanks to cameos from Aldridge, Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts, before the latter pair reduced Gloucestershire to seven for two second time around. They were later bowled out for 250.
Cameron Bancroft and Miles Hammond were able to guide the visitors to 50 for two at lunch.
A century stand for the fourth wicket halted Durham’s progress before Aldridge produced a superb three-wicket spell on the brink of tea to reaffirm the home side’s dominance in the match and the Division Two table.
Light dictated that Durham’s Test-quality pace attack step aside with two wickets required, and an explosive 10th-wicket partnership of 39 between Sai Kishore (29 not out from 33 balls) and JT Langridge forced the league leaders to bat again.
With that target of four set, the players did not emerge from their dressing rooms, with Gloucestershire refusing to bowl spin, leaving as little as one ball of action in prospect for day four.
In the only fixture in the country to start on time, Durham resumed on 331 for eight and swiftly accelerated beyond 350.
Carse took James Hayes for 16 in an over before he was bowled by the Nottinghamshire loanee for 20. Potts, who added 15, fell to Langridge, the seamer finishing with three wickets.
The England duo then produced a relentless opening burst which saw Gloucestershire stagger to 15 for two in 10 overs.
Joe Phillips was removed by Carse for the second time in the match for a duck, before Potts had Ollie Price caught behind. Bancroft and Hammond counter-attacked against the change bowlers to reach lunch with no further damage.
Both sides battled manfully after the break, with the left-handed Hammond negotiating a testing nine-over Ben Stokes spell to reach 50 off 80 balls.
He batted comfortably in partnership with captain Bancroft, but a rising delivery from Aldridge squared Hammond up and induced the edge for 58.
Aldridge continued his fine performance by having Bancroft caught at second slip for 46 in his next over, and new man Tommy Boorman followed shortly after.
Gloucestershire finished the session five down and still 115 in arrears, leaving five wickets left for Durham to complete the job.
As the gloom set in after tea, Aldridge uprooted Daz Ahmed’s middle stump for a 14-ball duck to register nine wickets in a match for the first time in his career.
With a light reading taken, it seemed only the elements could save Gloucestershire, as first innings half-centurion James Bracey dug in alongside Mitch Killeen.
Carse removed Bracey with a vicious in-swinger – 173 for seven.
In the 61st over of the innings, light forced Colin Ackermann into the attack, and he struck with his second ball, ending a spirited hand from Killeen to leave his side two wickets away.
Ackermann bowled in partnership with Will Rhodes, while Kishore shone with two sixes in 29.
Ackermann accounted for Hayes, who chipped to midwicket and left his side nine down, still trailing by 36.
Kishore and Langdrige had fun against Durham’s part-timers, eking out a slender lead with a succession of maximums which ended when Langridge holed out for 36.
Although the umpires returned to the middle, they soon trudged off, and play was called off just after 6.20pm.
Gloucestershire- 137 Durham- 331/8 leading by 194 runs. Bonus points: Durham- 5 Gloucestershire- 2
David Bedingham’s fifth century of the Rothesay County Championship season helped promotion chasing Durham consolidate their dominance over Gloucestershire in their Division Two match-up.
Bedingham and Ben Stokes combined for a partnership worth 94 to hand Durham a first innings lead within the first hour of play. The South African then passed three figures for the fifth time this season, but Gloucestershire struck back with a few quick wickets before lunch.
Durham’s lead passed 150 in the afternoon session, with the impressive Sai Kishore keeping the hosts’ batting line-up in check. The rain then came with a vengeance and the tea break was brought forward.
After a lengthy delay, play resumed and an Ollie Robinson cameo helped his side reach 331 for eight at close, a lead of 194 runs. Despite the loss of time due to the weather, Durham are still in control of the game as they look to strengthen their promotion bid in the world’s premier red ball competition.
Resuming on 100 for three and just 37 runs behind Gloucestershire’s first innings total, Bedingham and Stokes were looking to wipe out the deficit as soon as they could.
Bedingham continued where he left off as he found the boundary with ease, with a straight drive off the bowling of JT Langridge the pick of his early shots.
Stokes played a glorious drive for four to take Durham into the lead, with an inexperienced Gloucestershire attack struggling to control the flow of runs.
The pair’s brutal onslaught continued, with Bedingham notching up his 21st First Class century for Durham. However, there was relief for Gloucestershire as Kishore picked up the prized wicket of Stokes, with the Indian spinner bowling Stokes with a beauty.
Five overs were lost due to a rain delay and it proved to come at a good time for the visitors who struck through Mitch Killeen upon resumption, as Graham Clark edged straight to second slip.
The visitors continued their fightback, with Daz Ahmed dismissing Bedingham for an excellent 122 after he holed out to long-on.
There was still plenty of work for the visitors to do, with Durham possessing a long batting line-up. The hosts looked to build on their lead after lunch, with Colin Ackermann and Robinson ticking along nicely.
Kishore struck back for Gloucestershire as he got Ackermann caught behind, but Durham kept plugging away and their lead passed 150.
Robinson and Kasey Aldridge looked to pick up some quick runs but they were pegged back by Kishore and then the rain returned, much to the frustration of the players.
After a lengthy delay, the players returned for a shortened evening session, and Durham secured a second batting bonus point.
Aldridge was given another life as he edged a Killeen delivery, but Cameron Bancroft couldn’t hold on to a regulation catch at slip. The Durham all-rounder responded to that by smashing a Kishore ball down the ground for six.
Robinson was then caught behind at the hands of Killeen, which was one of the last actions before bad light brought a close to the day’s play.
A Kasey Aldridge five-wicket haul and David Bedingham’s unbeaten 59 put Rothesay County Championship Division Two leaders Durham in control of their fixture with bottom side Gloucestershire.
Brydon Carse picked up two early wickets to put Durham on top early on.
Aldridge and Matthew Potts backed up Carse’s efforts, but James Bracey’s half-century provided a glimmer of hope for the visitors. However, Aldridge, who passed 100 First Class wickets while doing it, wrapped up the tail, with Gloucestershire being bowled out for 137.
Durham’s reply got off to a difficult start as they found themselves 16 for two, but David Bedingham continued his brilliant season with the bat as he smashed a run-a-ball half-century before the day was curtailed by bad light. The hosts will resume on 100 for three on day two, with Gloucestershire leading by 37 runs.
Durham are the only unbeaten team in the world’s premier red ball competition and ahead of this fixture against basement boys Gloucestershire, their aim was to increase their 30-point lead at the top of Division Two as they look to secure an instant return to Division One.
After Durham won the toss and elected to bowl first, Carse was immediately in the thick of the action as he removed Joe Phillips’ middle stump to hand Durham a dream start.
Durham struck again as Potts got Cameron Bancroft when the Australian offered a loose drive and it flew to Bedingham at first slip. Carse struck again as Miles Hammond chopped on to his stumps to leave the visitors 13 for three.
Bracey and Ollie Price stemmed the flow of Durham wickets, with the Gloucestershire pair making the most of any run-scoring opportunities when they arose.
The visiting pair then took their stand past fifty, but Aldridge struck twice in quick succession, as he got Price caught at second slip and Tommy Boorman caught behind.
Daz Ahmed then fell at the hands of Potts, with the all-rounder caught at second slip. However, the determined Bracey passed the fifty mark for the sixth time this season.
That didn’t stop wickets falling around him, with Essex loanee Mitchell Killeen falling at the hands of Aldridge who got the ex-Durham man caught behind.
Ben Stokes then joined in on the action as he dismantled Sai Kishore’s leg stump. Aldridge then wrapped up his five-wicket haul, as he got Bracey lbw and JT Langridge was caught at point.
Durham’s reply got off to a challenging start as Somerset loanee Langridge got Alex Lees caught behind. Ben McKinney then got out to an Ahmed short ball as he got a looping edge on it which was caught by Phillips.
Will Rhodes and Bedingham steadied the ship for the hosts, with the latter the aggressor in the partnership as he produced an excellent straight drive off the bowling of Killeen.
Bedingham continued that form as he passed fifty after tea, picking up four boundaries from an Ahmed over. Gloucestershire struck back though as Langridge’s impressive debut continued when he got Rhodes caught at first slip.
Both sets of players were heading for the pavilion shortly after, with bad light bringing a premature end to day one, with 26 overs of play being lost.