Nottinghamshire make solid start on opening day against Durham

Nottinghamshire made a solid start to their LV= Insurance County Championship clash against Durham, finishing day one 312 for nine after being inserted by the hosts at Emirates Riverside.
Ben Slater hit a half century on the opening day. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Ben Slater hit a half century on the opening day. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Ben Slater hit a half century on the opening day. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Ben Slater and Liam Patterson-White scored half-centuries, while Joe Clarke added 48 for the visitors. They showed great determination at the crease and battled their way to good score on the opening day amid fine precise bowling from the home side.

Chris Rushworth and Ben Raine led the way for Durham, taking three wickets apiece and Matt Salisbury added a couple, but Scott Borthwick's men were not able to inflict the damage they would have hoped after opting to bowl on home soil.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rushworth marked his 35th birthday with the wicket of Haseeb Hameed, clean bowling the opener for 12. Potts bowled well in the morning session without luck as he beat the bat of Slater on several occasions. The visitors remained stoic at the crease and brought up fifty in the 23rd over.

However, Ben Compton's 54-ball innings came to an end before lunch as Rushworth notched his second wicket finding the outside edge, allowing Borthwick to claim a low catch at second slip.

Slater battled hard amid impressive bowling for the hosts. He manoeuvred his way to fifty, clipping Rushworth off his legs to the fence to reach the milestone from 106 deliveries.

The opener combined with Joe Clarke to defy the Durham bowlers, putting on a stand of fifty from 82 balls in the afternoon session. Durham persisted on a line and length, and Raine earned his reward to dismiss Slater for 60, removing his middle stump to secure the first bonus point of the game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Clarke appeared to be on course for his sixth fifty of the season, only to fall two short of the mark, chopping a wide Salisbury delivery on to his stumps. Raine then made further inroads to bowl Lydon James, giving the hosts an opening to press into the Notts lower order.

Steven Mullaney and Patterson-White halted their progress and countered to guide the visitors past the 200-run mark and their first bonus point. Mullaney played a loose drive to gift his wicket to Raine, while Rushworth pinned Joey Evison lbw to keep the visitors in check.

Sunderland-born Patterson-White kept the score moving past 250 and notched his second Championship fifty of the term. He finished the day unbeaten on 66 taking his team to their third batting point and boasting a strong platform in the contest.