Essex seal win in dramatic seal win in dramatic finish as LV= County Championshion gets underway
Press release 26 April 2010
Ian Blackwell inspired the county champions Durham to their first win of the summer as they secured a five wicket win against Hampshire at the Riverside, despite missing key fast bowlers Steve Harmison and Graham Onions.
Chasing 260 from a minimum of 57 overs, Durham lost three early wickets but Kyle Coetzer stabilized the innings for the title holders, with a controlled 72, before Blackwell came to the crease smashing 62 from just 40 balls, leaving Phil Mustard and Ben Stokes to see Durham home with 23 balls to spare. Earlier in the match Hampshire opener and England hopeful, Michael Carberry, hit his first LV= County Championship century of the season furthering his claim for a Test place against Bangladesh in May.
Lancashire made it two wins out of two as they hammered newly promoted Essex at Chelmsford thanks mainly to a superb bowling performance from England paceman James Anderson who finished with match figures of 9-97. Essex were rolled over for 176 in their first innings and slumped to 173 in their second, despite a half century from Alistair Cook, to leave Lancashire needing just 36 runs for victory on the final day - which they knocked off with eight wickets to spare. Lancashire’s first innings total of 312 was built around Paul Horton who hit 123.
Nottinghamshire had overseas star, Hashim Amla, to thank as he guided his side to a nail-biting two wicket win over Somerset, collecting 21 points in the process. Chasing 250 to win, Notts crossed the line thanks to Mark Wagh’s 70 and a well judged, unbeaten 64 from Amla. The match, which was finely balanced throughout, saw a number of brilliant individual performances. England seamer Stuart Broad’s destructive 27 ball burst of five wickets for just seven runs on the second day was the game’s highlight.
Elsewhere in Division One, Yorkshire fell short of reaching an unlikely victory target against Kent at Canterbury. Having been set 392 to win in a minimum of 91 overs when Kent declared on 358-8, Yorkshire reached only 300-5. Earlier in the match, Yorkshire and England all-rounder Tim Bresnan impressed with the ball finishing with first innings figures of five for 52.
In Division Two, Sussex skittled Gloucestershire just after lunch on the third day at Bristol to register their third win of the summer. Needing an unlikely 315 for victory, Gloucestershire were never in the hunt, slumping to 119 all out. Ex-West Indies paceman Corey Collymore finishing with match figures of 6-45.
Stephen Peters smashed an unbeaten career best 183 to secure a six wicket victory for Northamptonshire against Middlesex at Northampton. Needing 393 to claim their second successive LV= County Championship victory, Peters batted all day, facing 252 balls to steer his side home. Things could have been very different had Scott Newman – who hit 112 during Middlesex’s second innings – and Sam Robson not dropped Peters off the bowling of Shaun Udal.
An unbeaten 51 from Derbyshire captain Chris Rogers steered his side to an eight wicket victory over Glamorgan at Derby. Greg Smith’s first innings century – the third of his career – helping set up victory for Derbyshire.
At Whitgift School, Worcestershire held out for a draw against Surrey.
The next round of LV= County Championship matches begin on Tuesday 27 April. Champions Durham travel to Headingley to take on Division One table-toppers Yorkshire, Warwickshire host Hampshire at Edgbaston, Somerset play Essex at Taunton and Lancashire meet Kent at Old Trafford. In Division Two, Middlesex play bottom of the table Gloucestershire at Lord’s, Sussex meet Leicestershire at Hove, Worcestershire take on Glamorgan at New Road and Northamptonshire play Derbyshire at Northampton.
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