Second XI Championship: Durham CCC 2nd XI v Yorkshire CCC 2nd XI
Match result: Durham CCC 2nd XI Won By 40 runs
Points: Durham CCC 2nd XI: 23 Yorkshire 2nd XI: 4
Durham CCC 2nd XI: 252 for 10 (71.0 overs) and 117 for 10 (46.1 overs)
Yorkshire 2nd XI: 127 for 10 (47.1 overs) and 202 for 10 (75.0 overs)
Durham CCC 2nd XI won toss and decided to bat
For full scorecard go to http://www.totalcricketscorer.com/tcslive/tcslivescores.aspx
Victory over Yorkshire is always a special occasion, but back to back successes in the space of just a few days is especially sweet.
Second XI coach Alastair Maiden is delighted with his side’s performances this season and this week he had cause to celebrate a one-day victory over Yorkshire, followed by a narrow three-day win.
After wrapping up a tense 40-run success on Thursday morning Maiden underlined his satisfaction with the victories over Yorkshire in both formats of the game.
He said: “The three-day success was a good team performance, although I don’t think either side batted particularly well. We got 250 on the first day, which was a pretty decent total, then both teams got knocked over for low scores. Phil Mustard’s 140 in our first innings was probably the difference between the two sides and it was a really excellent knock.
“When we bowled we made the most of some helpful conditions and good bowling got us into a position where we could win the game, backed up by Phil’s outstanding innings.
“James Weighell did well. He got a five-for in the first innings and all the bowlers did some sterling work, toiling away. It backed up the one-day win on Monday, which, again, was great to see.”
These are exciting times for Maiden’s squad, who don’t play again until August 21st, when they travel to Taunton Vale CC to face Somerset in the SET Cup semi-finals, having won five and drawn one of their six group matches.
On the eve of their trip to the west country, Maiden was pleased with the victories over Yorkshire, achieved without two of his leading players as Adam Hickey and Jack Burnham were on England Under-19s duty in the one-day series against Australia.
Maiden said: “We have not got a massive amount of senior players, but the strength in the young lads who are coming through is there to see. There is a lot of strength in the squad.
“It is great to see Adam and Jack doing so well. They both came through from Under-11s so they have been around the club a long time.
“Jack and Adam are rightly very proud to be playing for their country, but I was especially pleased for Jack when he made his first class debut at Scarborough. We have got another lad who we first saw from around ten years of age and helped him develop all the way through to first class cricket. That is some achievement.
“Playing for the Durham first team at his age means he has hopefully got a very good chance of making the grade in first class cricket.
“By all accounts Jack batted really well at Scarborough. First of all, for a young lad, he has got some guts. He has definitely got the ability to be self-engaged and not to worry too much about the stuff going on around him. He did that earlier this season for the seconds when he got two 90 not outs at Derby. It was a similar situation to Scarborough in that there were wickets falling at the other end but he would have still been batting now if he could have been. They just would not have got him out. Jack shored up one end, scored his runs, picked them off and they never looked like getting him out.
“For a young lad as ambitious as Jack is, you build your whole life around the challenge of facing the likes of Liam Plunkett in front of a big crowd at Scarborough. He will have been very motivated by facing a current England bowler, determined to prove himself up for it.”
Hickey may have played in the Royal London One-Day Cup against Worcestershire in July, only for persistent to fall, causing an abandonment without a ball being bowled.
Maiden said: “Adam got close to his debut a few weeks ago. It’s funny because either Jack or Adam could have been the first to make their first team debut. They have both grown up together, played a lot of cricket together and this is not remotely in a malicious way, but they have pushed each other. One will improve for a period and the other will strive to match it. Jack has now made his debut and I wouldn’t be surprised if Adam does brilliantly over the rest of the season to try and push for a place. That’s great and they are really good friends. I don’t think there will be anyone more chuffed for Jack than Adam was.”