[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

County Championship, Division One

vs Durham

Chester Road, Kidderminster

Day One

Morning: Durham won a delayed toss and elected to bat on a windy Friday morning with the sun trying its hardest, between showers, to warm the hardy and enthusiastic crowd who gathered for Worcestershire's first Kidderminster outing since July 2019. They were rewarded in the first over with a Joe Leach classic, zipping past the attempted block of Scott Borthwick to clatter off-stump for a duck, before Nathan Smith bowling over the wicket to the left-handed Alex Lees drew an edge that was gratefully snaffled at second slip for 6. But the visitors steadied the ship and navigated their way to lunch on 89-2, claiming the session in the process.

Afternoon: The Pears needed an answer, and got it immediately upon the resumption with Jason Holder tempting the dangerous David Bedingham into a cut, only for the batsman to chop onto the stumps for 38. That success was soon followed by the removal of Colin Ackermann LBW for 47 by Joe Leach - a potentially iffy decision with the delivery angling well down leg, but one Worcs can claim was owing after having a far stronger shout against Bedingham turned down before lunch - and with fresh batsmen at the crease, the breakthrough quickly became a collapse. Holder struck again to see off Graham Clark LBW for 5, and with his first ball of the afternoon Adam Finch saw off Bas de Leede almost identically for 3; Holder then had Paul Coughlin caught at second slip for 1, and after an aggressive half-century, Ollie Robinson (no, the other one) was caught behind for 55 off Matthew Waite. Tea came with the visitors 230-8; probably Worcestershire's session on balance, but with plenty of consolation for Durham who'd been 141-7 an hour earlier.

Evening: Again, Worcestershire began the session needing inspiration, and it was provided by Adam Finch with two wickets in three balls to remove Ben Raine caught behind for 43 and Callum Parkinson LBW for a duck, leaving Durham 244 all out. The wagging of the tail had raised hopes among the Pears faithful that the pitch might not be as tricky as we all feared, even prompting talk that the wicket was a 300 par, but the next two hours proved a slog for the hosts, who lost Gareth Roderick for 2 off the fourth delivery of the innings, then Brett D'Oliveira to a godawful last-ditch attempted leave that resulted in a bottom-edge onto the stumps for an eleven-ball duck. Just when it looked like the third-wicket partnership might see us through, Rob Jones went LBW for 32, and Adam Hose followed him back to the pavilion for just 5 after chopping on. Bad light came to the rescue just before seven o'clock as the Pears closed on 78-4, needing big things from Jake Libby and the middle order on the morrow.