Yorkshire v Durham: Day two close
TWO wickets in as many balls from leg-spinner Adil Rashid left Durham facing an uphill struggle on a difficult day two at home to Yorkshire in the County Championship.
Still 561 behind, the champions lost Will Smith and nightwatchman Mark Davies to leave to leave a mammoth task tomorrow.
Kyle Coetzer was the first to go, nibbling at a Steven Patterson ball outside off stump with just 17 on the board. It reprieved the hosts after an erratic start, particularly from overseas debutant Tino Best. Michael Di Venuto took advantage, deciding attack was the best form of defence with 30 from 54 balls.
But once Yorkshire's spinners got to work on a dry pitch, the Tykes attack looked a different proposition. Davies was unable to spare Dale Benkenstein from a short batting session he could well have done without. Smith was victim to a googlie which bowled him and he follow-up was an instant replay.
The former skipper looked uncomfortable after twisting his knee in the field early on, but gutsed out the last three overs to leave his side 54-3, 557 in arrears.
Yorkshire scored their runs with indecent haste after tea to declare on 610-6 and still leave themselves 18 overs to bowl. They made 80 in the first 38 minutes after the interval.
Rashid played some eye-catching shots in an innings of 43 from 58 deliveries. Six times he hit boundaries, looking elegant even when trying to be agricultural.
For Jacques Rudolph it was all about landmarks. The South African nudged into the legside to bring up the fourth double hundred of his First-Class career, and another single set a new landmark batting for Yorkshire. A chip over the offside ring took him to 225, his best score for anyone. When he was called in by captain Andrew Gale, the South African had made 228 off 389 deliveries, hitting 35 fours but like every other Yorkshire batsman, no sixes.
Smith bowled himself in the final session, and the captain should have had only the ninth First-Class wicket of his career. Phil Mustard, though, missed the stumping with Rashid on 29 after giving Smith's off-spin the charge.
It was a short-lived reprieve, however, substitute Ben Harmison diving forward to snatch a drive just before it hit the turf at mid-off. The young leg-spinner seemed unconvinced, but his fun was brought to an end.
One characteristic of the modern Yorkshire side is the depth of its batting and David Wainwright - who normally bats at ten for the county - looked every bit a proper batsman, never more so than when he played what turned out to be the last ball of Yorkshire's innings through the covers for four.
For a full report of day two, read Thursday's Journal.
