A record fourth wicket stand of 185 in 42.4 overs between Graham Clark (109) and Paul Collingwood (71*) has seen Durham to 281/4 at the end of the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at the Emirates Riverside after the visitors were dismissed in the morning session for 295.
Close of Play Report
Durham had reached 150/3 at tea with Graham Clark in sight of another fifty, as together with Paul Collingwood the home batsmen looked to chisel away at the deficit. Clark reached his half-century by clipping de Lange to fine-leg before Collingwood on-drove the Springbok. Clark did the same next over to de Lange before pulling a long hop to the ropes at mid-wicket.
Collingwood then greeted the return of Lukas Carey at the Finchale End by glancing him to fine-leg whilst Clark pulled the youngster to the mid-wicket boundary. He then cover-drove Wagg for four before despatching him through mid-off for another elegant boundary. Andrew Salter replaced Carey and bowled a couple of frugal overs before Clark pulled him for six over mid-wicket to post a career-best Championship score.
A brace of two’s against Wagg saw Collingwood complete his fifty from 109 balls before the veteran captain swept Salter for four to backward square-leg. Clark then completed his maiden Championship hundred by pulling Salter for four – his 129th delivery – as Durham moved closer and closer to parity.
De Lange then returned and was struck for successive fours by Clark but to the next delivery he sparred outside off stump and gave Cullen another regulation catch as Durham’s best fourth wicket stand against the Welsh county came to an end. Ryan Pringle duly joined Collingwood for the last four overs.
Teatime update
Durham began the afternoon session on 15/0 as Lukas Carey and Marchant de Lange continued to bowl with the new ball, and in the fourth over of the session the latter made the first incision as Stephen Cook gave Tom Cullen his first catch in Glamorgan’s ranks as the South African opener edged a ball outside off stump into the gloves of the Cardiff MCCU wicket-keeper. Jack Burnham then joined Cameron Steel and he began by despatching Graham Wagg through the covers in the left-arm swingers opening over.
Burnham then greeted the introduction of Michael Hogan into the attack by steering him through point for four before clipping Wagg to the ropes at mid-wicket to bring up the fifty. Steel also square-drove Hogan to the ropes before Burnham struck another fierce boundary as he despatched Wagg through point. But his assertive innings ended as Carey, who had returned at the Lumley End, found the outside edge of his bat with Ingram at first slip safely pouching the ball after the ball had taken a ricochet out of the gloves of the diving Cullen.
Graham Clark began with a couple of firmly struck blows through extra cover and mid-wicket before Steel greeted the return of de Lange by swatting him over gully for four. But three balls later he departed as he tried to repeat the stroke and ended up feathering a catch to Cullen.
87/3 saw the arrival of Paul Collingwood at the crease as Glamorgan secured their first bowling point. The home captain began by clipping the Springbok to square-leg before Clark pulled the fast bowler for four, followed by a clip and pull to mid-wicket against Wagg. Andrew salter then had a short spell before the interval at the Finchale End and was pulled to the ropes at mid-wicket by each batsman .
Morning Report
Playing in an area renowned for heavy industry, Nick Selman yesterday showed the benefits of hard graft in searing temperatures as he posted his second century of the summer against Durham. His watchful efforts saw Glamorgan to 147/2 at the tea interval and a potential position of authority after two sessions of attritional cricket which was fully appreciated by the purists. However, the new ball, taken immediately by Durham when it was available after 80 overs, changed this scenario as Glamorgan lost five wickets in the closing session with Chris Rushworth leading the home side’s riposte at the Lumley End.
When Graham Wagg and Marchant de Lange resumed this morning with their side on 221/7, the overnight pair were eager to follow Selman’s example and regain the initiative. De Lange began by off-driving Paul Coughlin before scampering a series of quick singles with his partner. He also edged Coughlin through the slips four before Wagg flayed Rushworth through backward point for four followed by a copybook on-drove for four against Coughlin.
De Lange then swatted Coughlin over point for four followed by a lofted straight drive for four as Glamorgan secured a second batting point in the 105th over. Wagg then clipped Coughlin just over a diving mid-on to add further to his boundary tally before de Lange off-drove Rushworth for another four and then lofting Barry McCarthy over long-on for six, but his merry spree ended two overs later as he edged McCarthy to first slip.
With Lukas Carey as his new partner, Wagg then top-edged a pull against Matthew Potts to the ropes behind the wicket-keeper before Carey pulled Potts to the ropes at square-leg. But next over Carey drove a ball from McCarthy low to mid-off where Stephen Cook completed a low catch, before two balls later Michael Hogan edged into Poynter’s gloves as Glamorgan were dismissed for 295. This left Durham with seven overs to face before lunch which Cook and Cameron Steel safely negotiated.