Muchall and Mustard too much for Kent

double century
By Jon Steer
April 24 2006

A double century for Gordon Muchall and a first championship century for Phil Mustard in a record sixth wicket stand set up an innings victory over Kent in Durham's season opener at Canterbury.

Durham's total of 575 all out proved to be far too much for Kent who were all out for 340 and 179 still 56 runs adrift. The first day started badly for Durham with Mick Lewis unable to take part due to a hamstring injury sustained in the morning's warm up. This meant that Durham were without four first choice bowlers in Harmison, Plunkett, Lewis and Collingwood and the attack would be lead by Ottis Gibson making his Durham debut and Graham Onions with Neil Killeen and Callum Thorp for support.

Dale Benkenstein took the initiative by winning the toss and batting on what was described as a fairly dormant pitch... Jimmy Mayer and Jon Lewis opened but didn't make the best of it as both were back in the pavillion with the score on 52. Muchall and Pratt took up the challenge and punished some ordinary Kent bowling with a century stand before Pratt was bowled by Min Patel for 52. Benkenstein and Breese didn't settle and the score moved on to a potentially dangerous 233-5.

Phil Mustard joined an impressive looking Gordon Muchall at the wicket and the pair took Durham past 400 by the end of the first day with Muchall reaching his century from 164 balls. By the time the pair were separated with the departure of Muchall for a superb 219 the total had moved on to 482 with the sixth wicket stand worth a Durham record 249. By this time Mustard had also reached his first century and went on to score 130.

Ottis Gibson joined in the run scoring with a run-a-ball 33 before being stumped from the bowling of Patel who also accounted for last man out Neil Killeen with the total on 575.

Kent faced the prospect of scoring 426 to make Durham bat again and at 230-2 looked like making it and a draw looked the most likely result. A wicket a piece for Breese and Benkenstein followed by three for Graham Onions put Kent in the far more precarious position of 277-7. A battling 83 from van Jaarsveld took Kent to 333-8 but Thorp and Gibson combined to finish off the tail with the total on 340.

Onions started the Kent follow on in great style with the wickets of Key for a single and then fellow opener David Fulton for 13 to leave Kent at 23-2. Wickets then fell at regular intervals with three for Gibson, two each for Thorp and Breese and one to Neil Killeen to reduce Kent to 179 all out and give maximum points to Durham.