Yorkshire fought their way into a controlling position in their County Championship game against Durham, leading the hosts by 118 heading into matchday three at the Seat Unique Riverside.
George Hill claimed four wickets to put the hosts on the back foot after taking it back 42-2. Hill was supported by Jordan Thompson and Matthew Fisher, reducing Durham to 173-9
However, a 54-partnership between Ajaz Patel and Bas De Leede saw Durham close within 27 runs of the visitors to leave the contest hanging in the balance.
Ben Raine, Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse took early wickets to rock Yorkshire’s ranks but Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow thwarted Durham’s attempts to make further inroads with an unbeaten 50 position to put the visitors ahead in the game as they closed 91-3.
Yorkshire took advantage of the grim conditions on the morning of the second day to put the hosts under pressure. Thompson hit to retire night watchman Potts for seven years.
Scott Borthwick nailed a ground drive against Fisher to produce one of the game’s shots to advance to 35.
But, the England tailor got revenge on the next delivery as he found his outside edge and Adam Lyth took a low grip on the second slip.
Thompson’s precise line and length earned him the reward of David Bedingham’s prized wicket on a marginal lbw call, reducing the home side to 71-5.
Ollie Robinson stemmed the tide with a vital blow for the hosts, punching through the pitch to find the fence with regularity.
He and Graham Clark went 61 for the sixth wicket but Robinson missed six from a deserved half as he played loose practice against Matthew Revis whom Bairstow picked up behind the stumps.
Hill probed both edges of the bat unsettlingly and was turning the screw for visitors to open Durham’s lower order. He finally found Clark’s outside edge to end his stoic 33 shot before pinning Carse lbw.
Hill then snagged his fourth wicket by smashing Raine to give Yorkshire a real chance to open up a significant lead.
However, Patel and De Leede would challenge Yorkshire with a 54 position for the final wicket which only ended when Fisher beat Patel for a useful 34.
Yorkshire held a 27 lead but was immediately put on the back foot when Lyth pocketed a pair, edging Raine’s first innings second ball to Lees, who fumbled the ball into Bedingham’s hands on the second slip.
There was no one left to spare Lees’ blushes when he dropped concussion substitute Finlay Bean on three.
But Durham continued to make inroads into the Yorkshire lineup as Potts produced a peach to take out Shan Masood.
Bean was unable to take advantage of his second chance, going 22 before Carse and Robinson combined to end his relief stint from ailing Saud Shakeel. Yorkshire needed a touch of international class to stop Durham’s progress in their order.
Malan and Bairstow blunted the home side’s bid to get back in the game and began to manufacture a winning platform, reaching their fifty stand on 109 balls before bad light ended the day prematurely.
Report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.
