Harmison too hot for the Bears

Warwickshire were bowled out for 134 in their second innings on the final day at the Riverside losing to Durham by 219 runs

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DAY 4

Steve Harmison produced a superb spell of bowling on the final morning to destroy any hopes the Bears may have had of saving the match, when taking six of the seven Bears' wickets to fall in the opening hour's play.

Ateeq Javid was first to go, lbw to Harmison without adding to his overnight score of thirty, heralding things to come, as Jim Troughton then lost his off-stump to a beauty from Mitchell Claydon for forty three.

From this point on, wickets crashed as  Ambrose guided Harmison to Di Venuto at slip and Carter's attempted pull went vertically upwards to land in wicketkeeper Mustard's gloves.

Harmison, now on a roll, then mopped up the tail as Rankin jabbed to short-leg, Imran to slip and finally Miller into the gulley to bring the former England paceman his sixth wicket of the morning, for just five runs and in doing, completing his 700th career first-class wicket. 

Rikki Clarke was left unbeaten on eight as the Bears' innings closed on 134 after losing seven wickets in the opening fifty minutes for just twenty three runs.

 

DAY 3

The Durham openers, Mark Stoneman and Mike Di Venuto were in aggressive mood in the first session of the third day, posting a partnership of 158 before Imran Tahir struck removing Stoneman 60, lbw, with the first delivery of the new spell and then with the final ball of the same over, Di Venuto was caught at short-leg by Ateeq Javid for ninety two.

When Rikki Clarke bowled Dale Benkenstein 1, with the first ball of the next over, three wickets had fallen in seven deliveries, but the fourth wicket pair of Gordon Muchall and Ian Blackwell were still together at lunch with Durham 196-3 and an overall lead of 260.

An impressive afternoon session for the Bears saw seven Durham wickets fall for ninety three runs as Imran finished with 6-69 plus an additional superb catch to remove Stokes on the deep mid-wicket boundary after Boyd Rankin picked up two deserved wickets after the break.

Durham were keen to press on, but some accurate bowling from Warwickshire restricted them with no lower order batsman being able to take full advantage of the start provided by their opening pair earlier in the day, as the Bears were set a target of 354 for victory.

Ian Westwood went in the opening over caught at slip by Benkenstein off Harmison without scoring and when Mitchell Claydon picked up two quick wickets, removing Ant Botha 33, caught by Mustard and then trapping Maddy lbw for six, the Bears looked to be slipping to a quick defeat, but Jim Troughton 38* and Ateeq Javid 30* had other ideas, battling through for an unbeaten stand of sixty five to take the Bears to stumps still requiring 243 for victory on the final day. 

DAY 2

After the mopping up of the heavy overnight rain had delayed the start for fifteen minutes on the second morning, Warwickshire found progress against the seam attack of Harmison, Rushworth, Thorp and Claydon difficult.

With the ball moving about off the seam and unpredictabler bounce, Darren Maddy's innings came to an end when he was adjudged to have edged a ball between bat and thigh to Phil Mustard behind the stumps off Harmison for eight.

Ian Westwood was next to go, playing on to a short delivery from Harmison for eleven and immediately before lunch Ant Botha 19, was taken at slip by di Venuto off Claydon's full delivery with Warwickshire 57-3 at the interval.

After lunch Ateeq Javid 6 gave Thorp the first of his four wickets in the session and after Ambrose and Troughton, 44, had added forty eight for the fifth wicket, Carter 2, mistimed a pull to Harmison at wide mid-on and then Ambrose 31, was trapped lbw by a good delivery from Rushton.

Miller and Imran followed as the ninth wicket fell with the Bears 169-9, but Clarke unbeaten on fifty three with Rankin took the Bears to their first batting point under the Coalition Government, reaching tea on 205-9, trailing by eighty three runs.

Clarke 68 was finally out after the break as the Bears closed on 224 trailing by sixty four on first innings and by the close Durham had extended their lead to one hundred and forty two with Stoneman 42 and di Venuto 31, having been dropped at slip off Rankin earlier.

DAY 1
There was some early success for Warwickshire on the opening morning after putting Durham into bat, when Carter had di Venuto caught behind by Ambrose for six and the same bowler followed up with the other opener, Stoneman edging a lifting delivery into Clarke's hands at slip for tweMuchall 27, pulled a long-hop from Clarke to a diving Rankin at deep square-leg having hit the three previous deliveries faced for four.
There was another wicket just before lunch when Benkenstein's thin outside edge was taken by Ambrose for fourteen as Durham went to the interval on 95-4.
After lunch, Stokes 16, pulled a short delivery from Rankin into Miller's hands at deep square-leg, before a stand of ninety one for the sixth wicket between Blackwell 81* and Mustard 35 was broken with the final delivery before tea, when Mustard turned Imran to Clarke at slip when Durham were 203-6.
Blackwell chopped a delivery from Clarke back into his stumps when fourteen short of his century and after some hearty hitting, Thorp 29 was stumped by Ambrose off Imran with Durham 245-8.
Carter returned to the attack and with the new ball removed Rushworth 26 and Miller wrapped up the innings bowling Claydon for eighteen as the innings closed on 288.

In reply Warwickshire were 7-0 when bad light brought the players off the field with eight overs lost in the day.