Durham finish all square with Somerset

By Jon Steer
August 4 2003

In an exact mirror image of the matches as Taunton early in the season, Somerset responded to Durham's championship victory with a National League win on Sunday.

After seeing all the positives that Durham Criket has to offer at the end of last week, this week started with a poor display in the one dayer on Sunday. In the same way that Durham sis at Taunton at the beginning of the season Somerset salvaged some pride with a 4 wicket victory following a championship defeat by 318 runs.

The championship encounter with the cidermen was completed in three days after Somerset were dismissed for just 56, the lowest total in the championship this season and the lowest first class total against Durham in their history.

The win was set up by a solid batting display over the first day and half despite a number of interruptions for bad light and rain. For once Jon Lewis failed to score runs but half centuries from Muchall, Pratt and Peng and valuable contributions by Mustard, Bridge, Shaoib and Killeen took Durham to 345.

Somerset lost wickets regularly in thier reply and on the morning of the third day with the score at 92-4, Shoaib Ahktar took four wickets in quick succession in a devasting spell of fast bowling. Somerset were reeling on 106-8 still well short of avaoiding the follow on. A ninth wicket partnership of 33 meant that Somerset finished on 139 all out.

With the weather looking good and batting conditions seemingly favourable Jon Lewis decided against enforcing the follow on and opted instead to stretch Durham's lead to put the game beyond reach. The second innings was far from great stuff and the Durham batsmen never looked competely comfortable but they managed 168 in just under 45 overs to set Somerset an unlikely target of 375.

However unlikely the target seemed no one was prepared for what happened next. Starting their innings after tea, Somerset were hit by a superb spell of bowling from Shoaib and Neil Killeen. With the score on just 1, Shoaibs second over was a triple wicket maiden as Cox, Burns and Webley found him too hot to handle. In the next over Killeen removed Bryant to leave the score on 2 for 5 and Somerset wondering just what was happening!

Wickets continued to fall and despite some resistance from Johnson and Maclean Somerset were all out for just 56 and Durham had won by 318 runs.

The National League encounter however was an all too familiar event for Durham supporters with us only managing to score 178 runs before being bowled out in the final over. Somerset began well and were always ahead of the required rate despite some fine attacking bowling from Shoaib. The target was always within their grasp and the result was no surprise.

So, while promotion is now almost impossible in the national league, the championship position is look far more positive with Durham definately in with a chance.

The future of the Somerset destroyer Shoaib Akhtar is far from certain, Pakistan have asked Durham to release him from his contract depite originally giving him permission to miss the test series with Bangladesh.