Durham v Lancashire LV =County Championship (Day One)

DURHAM keep shrugging off injuries by saying they create opportunities for others and yesterday they unveiled yet another star from Sunderland.

On his LV= County Championship debut at home to Lancashire, 21-year-old Paul Coughlin made 71 not out, the highest score by a Durham No 10, beating fellow Wearsider Simon Brown’s 69 in 1994.

The youngster and another Sunderland product, Phil Mustard, also need to add only two more runs to erase another record featuring Brown.

He shares the county’s highest ninth-wicket stand of 127 with former wicketkeeper David Ligertwood, compiled against Surrey at Stockton in 1996.

Playing because of injuries to Graham Onions, Mark Wood and Jamie Harrison, Coughlin fearlessly rode some early luck with bold drives and pulls to take Durham to 310 for eight.

There were a few streaky early shots and on 31 an edge flew hard and low to third slip’s left hand. Otherwise it was impossible to imagine that Coughlin’s highest score in the second team was 68.

“I was nervous until I got to about 20,” he said. “I went down the pitch and told the Colonel (Mustard) I could hardly grip the bat. But we knew if we hung around for a while the runs would come.”

Mustard, dropped down to No 8 after a poor run of form, went in at 123 for six and showed unusual restraint in reaching 64. He had been in for 24 overs when Coughlin joined him, but even the second new ball couldn’t unsettle the pair.

Mainly a seam bowler, Coughlin made his senior debut against Australia A two years ago but didn’t bowl at all last season because of a back problem.

He worked on his batting and was in the team for the MCC v Champions match at Abu Dhabi in March, but has since been injured again and had played only one-day cricket in the second team until yesterday.

Prior to his arrival at the crease the balance had tipped Lancashire’s way on a rollercoaster day through a fivewicket haul for Kyle Hogg.

After the start was delayed for 15 minutes by rain Durham were inserted in overcast conditions and raced to 70 for one after 13 overs, Mark Stoneman making 51.

They then took a further 37 overs to double the score while losing five more wickets before Gordon Muchall and Mustard put on 57.

Muchall departed for 35 when a sweetly-timed clip off Hogg flew straight to midwicket and the bowler completed his haul when John Hastings pushed forward and edged behind, bringing in Coughlin.

National selector James Whitaker was present to watch Ben Stokes, who was shocked and disappointed to be left out of the squad for the first Test. But the all-rounder made only 21 before he was bowled by a ball from Kabir Ali which kept low.

After being very watchful during a probing spell either side of lunch from 40-yearold Glen Chapple, Stokes twice punched back-foot fours in front of mid-wicket, then straight drove the first ball of Kabir’s second spell to the boundary.

He played back to the next ball, which hit a perfect length and cut back slightly to bowl him. He will take a close look at it on the video as it was very reminiscent of his dismissal in the last match against Middlesex.

Chapple’s decision to put Durham in on an overcast morning made more sense than when Middlesex chose to field in sunny conditions in the last match and proceeded to bowl poorly in conceding a total of 568 for nine.

Lancashire did not bowl badly early on and with conditions in their favour they always looked as though they should be taking wickets. The Durham openers rode their luck with thick edges contributing to Kabir conceding 27 of the 28 runs which came off the first six overs.

Hogg was always threatening, as much through the extra bounce he occasionally extracted as from the modicum of sideways movement.

It was the bounce which accounted for Paul Collingwood, caught at gully for one.

But although he finished with five wickets, Hogg bowled no better than the wicketless Chapple, who played a key role in strangling the innings after its rapid start.

Conditions eased in the evening and although Coughlin enjoyed some luck he clearly had the visiting attack rattled by the close.

Wood is to have an injection in an ankle and is also likely to miss the home match against Sussex, starting next Sunday.

There is no imminent return for Onions following his visit to a specialist in London. He will need to play some second team cricket first, but is not in the squad for one-day and three-day matches away to Derbyshire, starting today. Harrison also remains sidelined with his knee problem.

  • Durham have handed Scotsman Calum MacLeod a full contract until the end of the season. He is their leading run scorer in Twenty20 cricket this season and has recently been captaining the second team.

SCOREBOARD

At Emirates Durham ICG. Lancashire 
Won Toss

Durham First Innings Close
M D Stoneman b Smith......................... 51
K K Jennings c Khawaja b Hogg.........23
S G Borthwick c Buttler b Smith .......... 6
M J Richardson lbw b Hogg ................ 16
B A Stokes b Kabir Ali........................... 21
P Collingwood c Khawaja b Hogg ...... 1
G J Muchall c Kerrigan b Hogg...........35
P Mustard not out ..................................64
J W Hastings c Buttler b Hogg............. 0
P Couglin not out ................................... 71
Extras (b4 lb8 nb10) ...........22
Total 8 wkts (96 overs) .....310
Fall: 1-55 2-81 3-86 4-113 5-119 6-123
7-180 8-184
To Bat: C Rushworth.
Bowling: Hogg 23-9-62-5. Kabir Ali 14-2-
66-1. Chapple 27-6-67-0. Smith 23-6-72-
2. Kerrigan 9-0-31-0.