Kent v Durham (Liverpool Victoria County Championship) : Day One

GORDON Muchall rose magnificently to the challenge of extra responsibility yesterday by making the highest first-class score by a home-bred Durham batsman.

Muchall held the innings together and converted his cultured century into an unbeaten 193 out of a total of 401 for five against Kent at Canterbury.

In a line-up featuring five men born overseas, two more Durham products offered the other significant contributions, Gary Pratt making 52 and Phil Mustard 67 not out.

On a triumphant return to division one it was an even better first day than last season, when Durham made 325 for three at Leicester and Mike Hussey went on to amass 253.

Hussey was the third Australian to make a double century for Durham after Martin Love and Marcus North, but John Morris is the only Englishman to achieve the feat.

Last season was the first since Muchall came into the team in 2002 that his run total had not increased. But in the team context it was insignificant as Durham boasted three men with 1,000 first-class runs for the first time.

With two of those, Hussey and Paul Collingwood, absent and the three most experienced men falling in the 20s, Muchall bore a considerable burden in capitalising on Dale Benkenstein winning his first toss as Durham captain.

If there was any cause for concern when Benkenstein and Gareth Breese fell in quick succession in mid-afternoon 23-yearold Muchall showed no sign of it.

He grew in command throughout the day and by the end was mixing ferocious pulls with effortless steers to the backward point boundary.

In racing to his third 50 off 63 balls he passed his previous best of 142 not out against Yorkshire at Scarborough two years ago.

Mustard looked to have added some steel to his usual flashing strokes and spent 93 balls over his half-century before surviving an easy chance to David Fulton at deep mid-wicket on 51.

The unbroken stand of 168 is already the second highest sixthwicket partnership for Durham behind the 193 put on by David Boon and Collingwood at Edgbaston in 1998.

Collingwood was also in the record books for the previous highest score by a Durham-born batsman - his 190 at Derby last season.

Fulton has been replaced as Kent captain by Robert Key, who was made to suffer for occasionally making it all too easy for Muchall by bowling part-time medium-pacers with the field pushed back.

At one point he had four men back on the leg side in a forlorn attempt to induce a top-edged pull, but Muchall was in no mood to allow his concentration to lapse in the face of such silly tactics.

He was also handed four singles to take him from 95 to 99, but then the field closed in and it was 14 balls later before he edged a ball from Min Patel which kept low for two to complete his century off 164 balls with 16 fours.

There was little pace in the pitch but against an attack which was further depleted before the start it was essential that Durham topped 350 to have any chance of being competitive.

It was decided not to risk Australian seamer Mick Lewis because of a hamstring strain, so Neil Killeen was drafted in, with Graeme Bridge settling for 12th man duties.

Kent were also weakened, with neither of their overseas men, South African all-rounders Andrew Hall and Justin Kemp, having arrived. They were also without former Durham and England bowler Martin Saggers because of a heel injury.

Canterbury was chilly and overcast for most of the day but there was no hint of the rain they need in this parched corner of the country.

Muchall's only century last season was against Essex at Riverside in June, but after spending the second half of the winter in Australia he quickly settled after edging his first ball through the slips.

Pratt also began rather streakily and was almost run out on one. He has eight yards into a risky single to extra cover when he was sent back and slipped.

Most people would have given up the ghost but Pratt somehow got back, showing the agility which earned him fame as England's 12th man last summer.

He followed up by almost chopping the ball into his stumps, but he deserved a bit of luck after his season and a half in the doldrums and once he had cut Antiguaborn paceman Robbie Joseph for four he was under way.

He enjoyed one other slice of fortune on 14, when he cut Amjad Khan over gully, who had been pushed deep for the shot.

But the runs really began to flow when left-arm spinner Patel came on for the 26th over. Pratt swept him fine for four then drove the next ball to the extra cover boundary.

Muchall hit two back-foot fours through the off-side in Patel's next over and 46 runs came off the last eight overs before lunch.

Both batsmen continued in much the same vein after the break, but three balls after reaching his first championship 50 for two years off 70 deliveries with seven fours, Pratt pushed forward to the first ball of a new spell from Patel and was bowled.

Durham picked up their first bonus point of the season at 3pm when Benkenstein off-drove Patel majestically for four to bring up the 200 in the 52nd over.

Runs were still flowing, but on 22 the captain was also bowled by Patel by a ball which turned across him as he shaped to play to mid-wicket.

When Breese fell for 11 there was some cause for concern. He would not be happy to slice a drive to backward point off the occasional medium pace of Neil Dexter, a 21-year-old South African who, like Breese, qualifies through a British parent.

At 233 for five Durham had suffered a slight wobble, but Mustard provided the perfect partner for Muchall and will be looking for a top score of his own today.

Scorecard

Kent v Durham at Canterbury (Durham Won Toss)

Durham First Innings Close
J J Lewis b Cook 20
J P Maher lbw b Joseph 25
G J Muchall not out 193
G J Pratt b Patel 52
D M Benkenstein b Patel 22
G R Breese c Patel b Dexter 11
P Mustard not out 67
Extras (lb7 w2 nb2 pens 0) 11
Total 5 wkts (104 overs) 401
Fall: 1-46 2-52 3-170 4-206 5-233
To Bat: O D Gibson, C D Thorp, G Onions, N
Killeen.
Bowling: Khan 22-1-78-0. Cook 15-1-68-1.
Joseph 21-6-68-1. Patel 21-4-79-2. Stevens 8-
0-41-0. Dexter 17-4-60-1.