Durham get off to a dream start (From The Northern Echo)

Durham get off to a dream start against Nottinghamshire

12:04pm Thursday 10th September 2009 in Sport By Tim Wellock

Durham v Nottinghamshire (County Championship) : Day One

IT was a day for dreamers at Riverside yesterday, rather than lovers of competitive sport.

Some of them bought a new book called The Impossible Dream outlining how the bid for first-class status took shape 20 years ago; others basked in the sun on the top deck of the most recent stand marvelling at how quickly the whipping boys had become the whippers.

Second-placed Nottinghamshire had already been soundly thrashed by Durham at Trent Bridge, and any hope of exacting revenge and keeping the title race open vanished in the first session.

Durham then made all but mathematically certain of their second successive LV County Championship title through an opening stand of 314.

It was one short of their record stand for any wicket in four-day cricket, set by Dale Benkenstein and Ottis Gibson to stave off relegation at Headingley three years ago.

Durham survived by half a point and even the wildest of dreamers could not have envisaged their current prowess as Michael Di Venuto earned another notch in the record books.

After Kyle Coetzer was run out for 107, Di Venuto went on to become the first batsman to score two double centuries in a season for Durham, closing on 219 out of a total of 377 for one.

With four points already in the bag, Durham need seven more to clinch the title with two games left. The fifth batting point looks a formality, so with four for a draw they need only two bowling points for taking six wickets inside 120 overs.

The best way to achieve that might be to declare at 400 and force Nottinghamshire to go for quick runs in the hope of getting into a winning position.

The more likely scenario is that Durham will continue to grind down their visitors, ensuring that they achieve at least a draw.

Di Venuto’s 254 not out against Sussex early last month was the second highest score for Durham after Martin Love’s 273 against Hampshire at Riverside six years ago. The Tasmanian will surely be aiming for the record today.

He was given high praise yesterday by Coetzer, who said: “I really enjoy batting with him. It’s great to have him at the other end because he makes it look so easy. We just kept telling each other we would advance in tens the whole day.

“The new ball nipped around a bit and I had a bit of luck, but I just tried to grind it out. I’m happy to open – it’s such a strong squad that it’s great just to get an opportunity.

I’ve learnt during my time out of the team that it’s OK to score ugly runs.

“The coaches have stressed that and I just set out to bat all day. It was disappointing to get out the way I did.”

Coetzer set off from the non-striker’s end and was sent back as Mark Ealham pulled off a smart piece of fielding at wide mid-off for a man in his 40th year.

Di Venuto survived something similar in his only scare on 43 when he took a quick single to Ealham, who scored a direct hit at the non-striker’s end and looked surprised when the batsman was given the benefit of the doubt.

The Tasmanian scored 105 out of 173 in the afternoon session against increasingly demoralised opponents, for whom nothing would go right.

They lost their captain and wicketkeeper, Chris Read, with a dislocated thumb just before lunch, Bilal Shafayat taking over behind the stumps, then 6ft 7in seamer Charlie Shreck limped off in the afternoon with a knee injury.

Durham’s previous best partnership for the first wicket in the championship was 202, shared by Wayne Larkins and Graeme Fowler against Warwickshire at Darlington in 1993.

After winning the toss Durham reached 90 at lunch.

Coetzer initially left his partner on the blocks. Although some of his runs came off thick edges to the unguarded third man area, he also played several handsome off-side drives as he got to 34 with Di Venuto on ten.

But the younger partner dug in once the senior man took over, and Coetzer completed his second championship century two years after the first off 215 balls with 20 fours.

SCORECARD

Durham v Nottinghamshire
At Riverside. Durham Won Toss

Durham First Innings Close
M J Di Venuto not out .219
K J Coetzer run out .107
W R Smith not out .22
Extras (b4 lb12 w1 nb12 pens 0)29
Total 1 wkt (96 overs)377
Fall: 1-314
To Bat: S Chanderpaul, D M Benkenstein,
I D Blackwell, P Mustard, L E Plunkett, M
E Claydon, S J Harmison, M Davies.
Bowling: Shreck 7-3-26-0. Pattinson 20-
4-85-0. Fletcher 22-3-93-0. Ealham 16-0-
49-0. S R Patel 28-2-100-0. Hales 3-1-8-0.