Surrey v Durham (County Championship) : Day Two

UNTIL Steve Harmison rekindled their victory chances it was just like the bad old days for Durham yesterday. They regularly used to suffer thrashings at The Oval when Surrey were a much superior side, but that is no longer the case and there will be much soul-searching after another inept batting display.

Durham were all out for 204, leaving Surrey needing 153 to win and when Liam Plunkett fired the third ball down the leg side for four byes there was no reason for optimism.

Harmison raised hopes, however, with an outstanding effort which reduced Surrey to 23 for three, but they had reached 46 without further loss when rain ended play.

Harmison produced a brute of a ball to have Jon Batty caught at gully with the score on 13, then had a lengthy chat with Plunkett prior to the next over, only for his England colleague to send down three off-side wides to Mark Ramprakash.

Plunkett bowled five wides in five overs and if Durham had been able to apply pressure from both ends they might be favourites to win an extraordinary game, in which the fall of 33 wickets in two days has been an insult to the pitch.

Another steeply-rising ball from Harmison had Ramprakash caught by Phil Mustard for one, then left-hander Scott Newman was taken down the leg-side and left reluctantly after being given out by John Holder.

Australian Stewart Walters again chanced his arm against Harmison, with an edge over Mustard almost carrying for six just before play ended with 19 overs still to bowl.

The Twenty20 hangover is one excuse for Durham's lamentable batting, but it is a lame one as professionals have to be able to adapt, and the same can be said in response to the more legitimate reason for this flop - the injury to Michael Di Venuto.

In his absence it was to be hoped that the other overseas man, Scott Styris, would shoulder more responsibility. But he seemed to be stuck in Twenty20 mode more than anyone as he made a rapid 23 before being caught at deep square leg.

At that stage his fellow New Zealander, Paul Wiseman, was also in danger of getting carried away, having contributed an equal share to a stand of 45 in seven overs.

But on Styris' exit the arrival of skipper Dale Benkenstein persuaded Wiseman to settle down in his role as a makeshift opener and a partnership of 70 put Durham back in the game.

At 126 for three they were 74 ahead, but then four wickets went down for six runs in four overs, the first two of them to the former Lancashire and England leg-spinner Chris Schofield.

During his spell in the wilderness, Schofield had a trial with Durham but he continued to struggle and it was a surprise when Surrey took him on last year.

At the start of his spell yesterday Benkenstein and Wiseman comfortably picked off four or five singles an over, but then a googly had Wiseman lbw for 44, although he was well forward and Allan Jones took an eternity to make the decision.

In Schofield's next over Mustard was caught off bat and pad, then Ottis Gibson pushed forward and was lbw to seamer Neil Saker for a duck.

After coming in at 56 for three with his side only four ahead, Benkenstein had made 46 out of the 70 he put on with Wiseman and must have felt victory was starting to look possible.

But the sudden loss of three wickets must have had a demoralising effect as he fell for 48 when he drove Saker straight to short extra cover.

At 132 for seven, 80 ahead, Durham were staring at a two-day defeat, but as if to prove that the pitch was blameless Will Smith and Plunkett then put on 65.

Smith had been ill, but he looked more comfortable batting at No 7 than he usually does against the new ball and it was a big disappointment when he got out for 41, equalling his highest championship score of the season.

Attempting a forcing back-foot shot he got an inside edge into his stumps off Matt Nicholson, who also took the last two wickets.

Mark Davies failed to build on his solid 20 not out in the first innings as a poor shot saw him edge to the wicketkeeper and Plunkett was last out for 33 when he lobbed an attempted hook straight to mid-wicket.

That left Nicholson with four wickets as he had earlier completed Gordon Muchall's miserable match with an excellent ball which climbed steeply from just short of a length and also moved away to take the edge.

Gareth Breese was more culpable as he followed an away swinger from Jade Dernbach to edge to Batty as Durham slipped to 11 for two before Styris's brief flurry.

In the morning Durham needed only 47 minutes to take Surrey's remaining four first innings wickets and they were all out for 243.

Gibson took two wickets in two balls, Schofield edging a poor shot to Mustard before Harbhajan Singh was hit on the boot by a straight yorker.

Harmison roared in to complete the job and with three wickets in each innings here, he now has 30 in four matches for Durham this season.

England have ruled that he shouldn't play against Sussex at Horsham on Friday, despite having three clear days next week to prepare for Test duty against India. And with Graham Onions playing for England Lions next weekend, Durham will spend the next few days trying to iron out the flaws which England duty has again inflicted on Plunkett.

SCORECARD

Surrey v Durham at The Brit Oval.

Overnight: Durham 191 (P Mustard 70). Surrey
198-6 (S J Walters 70).

Surrey First Innings
C P Schofield c Mustard b Gibson 28
M J Nicholson c Breese b S J Harmison 19
Harbhajan Singh lbw b Gibson 0
N C Saker not out 16
J W Dernbach b S J Harmison 0
Extras (lb10 w2 nb8 pens 0) 20
Total (67.4 overs) 243
Fall: 1-2 2-49 3-53 4-115 5-168 6-198 7-217
8-217 9-231
Bowling: Plunkett 13-4-44-1. S J Harmison 18.4-
5-75-3. Gibson 16-5-61-4. Davies 9-3-18-0. Wiseman
11-2-35-1.

Durham Second Innings
G R Breese c Batty b Dernbach 8
P J Wiseman lbw b Schofield 44
G J Muchall c Batty b Nicholson 0
S B Styris c Schofield b Clarke 23
D M Benkenstein c Newman b Saker 48
P Mustard c Newman b Schofield 2
W R Smith b Nicholson 41
O D Gibson lbw b Saker 0
L E Plunkett c Walters b Nicholson 33
M Davies c Batty b Nicholson 0
S J Harmison not out 0
Extras (lb4 w1 pens 0) 5
Total (57.1 overs) 204
Fall: 1-10 2-11 3-56 4-126 5-130 6-132 7-132
8-197 9-203
Nicholson 14.1-2-44-4. Dernbach 4-1-29-1.
Clarke 5-2-9-1. Harbhajan Singh 15-1-66-0.
Schofield 12-4-29-2. Saker 7-1-23-2.

Surrey Second Innings Close
S A Newman c Mustard b S J Harmison 7
J N Batty c Gibson b S J Harmison 4
M R Ramprakash c Mustard b SJ Harmison 1
M A Butcher not out 13
S J Walters not out 8
Extras (b4 lb2 w5 nb2 pens 0) 13
Total 3 wkts (14 overs) 46
Fall: 1-13 2-18 3-23
To Bat: R Clarke, C P Schofield, M J Nicholson,
Harbhajan Singh, N C Saker, J W Dernbach.
Bonus Pts: Surrey 4 Durham 3
Bowling: Plunkett 6-2-19-0. S J Harmison 7-4-
15-3. Gibson 1-0-6-0.