Loughborough Dominate Plucky Durham As Classy Harinath Revels On Return

16 June 2008

• Durham UCCE 1st Innings – 123 All Out from 54.2 Overs
  CD Paget 40 RE King – 10.2-0-43-3
  W Bruce 22 HD Jones – 13-4-25-3

• Loughborough UCCE 1st Innings – 160 for 4 from 47 Overs
  A Harinath 50no CD Paget – 15-5-30-2
  RJAH Malcolm 34 PJ Foster – 10-5-27-1

Loughborough UCCE dominated the opening day at Hazelrigg against a Durham side that lacked in ideas, with Arun Harinath finishing the day unbeaten on 50, and looking ominously set for a big score tomorrow.

After winning the toss, and opting to field first, the Loughborough opening pair of Tom Parsons and Henry Jones opened the bowling on a cloudy and overcast morning, and kept the Durham opening pair on a tight leash. Indeed, both batsmen struggled for any sort of fluency, with the dangerous Durham skipper Nick Prowting first to fall to Jones, lbw. Johnston followed not long after to the same bowler, and Durham urgently needed a partnership to not fall away early on.

Loughborough – being led by Alan Cope in Matthew Spriegel’s absence through his continued involvement with the Surrey 1st XI – had other ideas with Jones and Parsons continuing to bowl rapidly to an aggressive field setting. Paul Dixey and Joe Buttleman lasted a mere 12 deliveries between the two of them, and both left without troubling the scorers. Durham were now in real trouble at 26-4, and Graham Dilley’s side sensed that their opponents were very much for the taking.

Will Bruce and Chris Paget were the two men that Durham eyes were now looking towards, and both batted cautiously as they set about attempting to drag their team back into the contest. Paget, in particular, played a couple of beautiful shots through the covers, with Bruce proving a more than capable foil. Just when the pair seemed set for a big partnership, a cracker from Jonny Hughes caught Bruce straight in front, and the contest swung back in the favour of Cope’s men.

Patrick Foster was the next man in, and after another brave effort, he was soon removed off the bowling of the excellent Michael Baer, aided by an athletic leaping catch at mid-wicket from Cope. Wood (c sub b King for 8) and Legget (lbw b Baer for 0) departed not long after, and at 109-8 the end seemed nigh for the northerners.

And it soon became a reality. Paget’s stubborn knock was brought to an end by Richard King, who exploited the hard pitch by generating bounce and movement away from the batsman. Paget was to be his reward, with wicketkeeper Pratt taking the catch. The same bowler did the trick again by removing last man Gale, who also found the edge to Pratt. With Durham bundled out for only 123 after 54.2 overs, Loughborough saw an opportunity to not only seal a first innings win, but to score enough runs to perhaps go for the outright win tomorrow.

Paul Borrington and Johan Malcolm opened up for Loughborough confidently, and it was not long before Malcolm began to hit the ball in his customary thumping fashion. He scored runs all around the wicket in his breezy 34, but it was Borrington who was first to go, edging the combative Foster behind for 11. Foster – whilst not being the quickest – was consistent in his line, and his movement was giving the Loughborough top order plenty to think about.

Malcolm followed seven overs later, caught by Gale off Paget, and was succeeded at the crease by Tom Flowers. Flowers worked the ball around intelligently, and seemed set for a big score. It was a surprise then, when he was beaten by a slower ball from Kearns, to be uncompromisingly bowled.

That brought Cope and Harinath to the wicket, and both men looked a class above any other batsman on the day. Harinath was playing with an assured aura around him, and some sumptuous cover drives were simply brilliant to watch. Cope was feeding off his partner, and was working the ball into the space on the on side, but played one shot to many, and edged Paget behind, when there seemed little danger. King was next man in, but it was Harinath who stole the limelight. A couple of superbly timed shots straight down the ground brought up his 50, shortly before the end of the days play.

Loughborough, with a first innings victory already assured, head into day two 37 runs ahead. Cope’s team will certainly look to build on it as quickly as possible, with the chance of an outright victory still very much alive. Durham, meanwhile, will look to Paget and Foster to bring the home innings to an end as early as possible.