Thursday 28 May 2015 07:10, UK
Durham needed only 43 minutes to wrap up a six-wicket win over Worcestershire at New Road which takes them top of the LV= County Championship Division One table.
The result was largely influenced by Paul Collingwood's highest county championship score for 10 years, and although the captain was out for 127 in the third over of the final day, Durham knocked off the remaining 48 runs with a minimum of fuss.
Having been watched by his parents in reaching 111 not out on his 39th birthday, Collingwood was in celebratory mode when taking 13 runs off four balls from Joe Leach on the fourth morning.
A cover drive for four completed a century partnership with Michael Richardson and this was followed by a six, which landed alongside the pavilion, and then another crisp off-side shot for three.
However, Collingwood was caught behind in the next over from Charlie Morris, sparring at a lifting delivery outside the off stump.
The veteran faced 183 balls in all, picking off 17 fours and two sixes while breaking the back of the task in stands of 108 with Keaton Jennings and 112 with Richardson.
For Richardson, who took over the gloves from regular wicketkeeper Philip Mustard, it was a particularly good match, with seven catches and a third half-century of the summer after dropping one place in the order as a concession to the additional workload.
Up until Collingwood's departure he had not added even a single, but thereafter he comfortably assumed the leading role and moved up to an unbeaten 66 after scoring 25 of the last 32 runs with Gordon Muchall.
Worcestershire's fourth defeat in five games since winning promotion would have been a sobering experience and, not for the first time, they competed strongly for two-thirds of the match but failed to carry their performance through.
Meanwhile, Adil Rashid was dismissed one run short of his century as Yorkshire and Somerset played out a draw at Taunton.
Yorkshire resumed their innings on 161-5 on day four with Rashid and Bairstow taking to the crease in the morning. Bairstow added another 33 runs to his overnight score before being dismissed on 66 after edging an Alfonso Thomas delivery to wicket-keeper Alex Barrow.
Tim Bresnan contributed 29 runs to Yorkshire’s total before being trapped lbw by Johann Myburgh and the South African picked up his second wicket of the day when he dismissed Rashid, with Thomas taking the catch.
But Yorkshire’s tail stood firm. Liam Plunkett scored 21 and Jack Brooks 24, with Steven Patterson remaining unbeaten on 44 as Yorkshire were dismissed for 419.
There was only time for two overs of Somerset’s second innings and with the penultimate ball of the day Glenn Maxwell got the wicket of Marcus Trescothick (4) who was caught by Plunkett.
The draw earned Yorkshire 13 points and Somerset 12.
