Durham v Worcestershire: Day Three lunch

Jul 2 2009 By Luke Edwards, The Journal

DURHAM'S bowlers are going to have to shed plenty of sweat as they look to put themselves into a winning position on the third day at a sun-drenched Riverside.

With clear blue skies replacing the intermittent low cloud, there is little encouragement for the bowlers, but lots to give confidence to the batsmen on a pitch which has benefited from a baking by the sun.

Both sides were dismissed for less than 200 in the first innings, but Worcestershire - bottom of the Liverpool Victoria County Championship First Division - were looking relatively comfortable on day three with just one batsman out after the first hour of the morning session.

That was until Ben Smith, their most experienced player, played a loose cut shot off the bowling of Callum Thorp straight to Kyle Coetzer at point who got both hands to a low chance. From 57-1 with half an hour of the morning session left to play, Worcestershire went in for lunch in a little bit of trouble at 66-3.

The first breakthrough of the morning came for Mark Davies, Michael Di Venuto taking an excellent catch at second slip after Daryl Murphy edged one trying to drive for 15.

Alexei Kervezee, though, looked comfortable from the start as did Moeen Ali, until he also cut one to Coetzer to give Liam Plunkett his seventh wicket of the match.

The fast bowler almost had another one in the same over, but a sharp chance from the edge of Smith's bat was not taken by Gordon Muchall at third slip. His luck did not last.