Close, Day Four: Durham 2nd XI (477 & 43/1) beat Kent/Essex 2nd XI (319 & 198; McCarthy 5/18) by nine wickets
Barry McCarthy’s five-wicket haul set Durham on their way to victory against Kent/Essex after Stuart Poynter’s century on Day Three tipped the balance in their favour.
The Irishman knocked over the tail in a spell of 3/10 to go with two early morning wickets to register his first five-for of the campaign.
Set a target of 41 to win, opening batsman Graham Clark continued his fine form with a brutal assault of 30* in 18 balls, including six boundaries, as they cruised to victory at Billericay.
Poynter had put them in a strong position before Paul Coughlin removed Fabian Cowdrey with the first ball of the innings.
James Weighell also grabbed an early wicket, leaving the hosts two down at the start of play and hoping to bat all day to save the game.
They gave themselves hope when after three more early wickets, first innings centurion Kishen Velani and ex-England spinner James Tredwell put on over 100 for the sixth wicket.
But Coughlin clean bowled Velani and had Liam Gough caught behind, before McCarthy’s devastating spell blew away the tail.
Phil Mustard fell on two but Clark completed the run chase as Neil Killeen’s men chalked up a second successive preseason victory.
Close, Day Two: Durham 2nd XI (95/0) trail Kent/Essex 2nd XI (319; Velani 124) by 224 runs
Durham’s bowlers led a fightback before the openers made a solid start in pursuit of Kent/Essex’s 319 in the four-day friendly at Billericay.
Kishen Velani struck a century as he and James Tredwell (29) continued the good work of Fabian Cowdrey (65) the previous evening, the opener dismissed early on by Jamie Harrison.
But from 257/4, Durham’s bowlers shared the wickets around to restrict the hosts to 319.
Paul Coughlin and Adam Hickey took two apiece as eight bowlers took wickets, while Gurman Randhawa was miserly in his 1/23 from 13 overs.
It was then the turn of Phil Mustard and Graham Clark and the pair saw out the first 24 overs of play, scoring 49* and 42* respectively to put the 2nd XI in good shape ahead of the third day.
Close, Day One: Kent/Essex 2nd XI (153/2; Velani 73*) vs Durham 2nd XI
Durham’s second string were once again frustrated by the elements in a stop-start day at Billericay against a combined Kent/Essex outfit.
Neil Killeen’s side had three full days of practice against Scotland last week, their first real outdoor endeavour after four postponed matches.
But the weather allowed only 32 overs against the combined side as Fabian Cowdrey and Kishen Velani finished the day with an unbroken 111 partnership.
Either side of rain breaks in the first session, Durham struck twice as Barry McCarthy had Jaik Mickleburgh caught in the slips before Paul Coughlin clean bowled Adam Ball.
Regular rain breaks disrupted the bowler’s rhythm as bowlers were rotated and there another delay post-tea saw play halted for the day.