County Championship: Durham extend lead in Division Two with win over Northamptonshire

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Banks Homes Riverside (day four)

Northamptonshire 450 & 250: Miller 61, McSweeney 52, Broad 49; Potts 4-77

Durham 405 & 296-4: Bedingham 109*, Ackermann 65*

Durham (23 pts) beat Northamptonshire (7 pts) by six wickets

Match scorecard

David Bedingham’s sensational unbeaten century helped Durham lay down a marker in the County Championship Division Two promotion race as they beat Northamptonshire by six wickets in a thrilling climax to their fixture.

Northamptonshire managed to set Durham a target of 296 to chase at Banks Homes Riverside on the final day after being bowled out for 250 in the morning session.

The beginning of Durham’s chase was tightly contested with the fate of the game in the balance, but a successful spell with the ball for Northamptonshire in the afternoon handed the visitors control with the hosts reeling at 107-4.

However, Bedingham and half-centurion Colin Ackermann steadied the ship and the former took the game to the visitors after tea, reaching three figures for the 29th time in first-class cricket. The pair, whose partnership was worth 189, then saw Durham to the target of 296 with 16 balls to spare.

The result extends Durham’s lead at the top of Division Two, while Northamptonshire drop to third because of results elsewhere.

Resuming on 200-6 with a 245-run lead, Northamptonshire’s aim was to score quick runs and give themselves enough time to bowl Durham out on the final day.

However, it was Durham who got off to the dream start, as George Bartlett was caught at backward point off the bowling of Matthew Potts.

Kasey Aldridge came into the strikeand removed Liam Guthrie, who chipped one in the direction of Ben Raine and he produced an excellent diving effort at mid-on. Northamptonshire then lost their ninth wicket as Aldridge accounted for Ben Sanderson, who was caught in the covers.

Durham then wrapped up the Northamptonshire innings, with Ben Raine picking up the final wicket as Justin Broad was caught behind one short of a half-century.

The hosts started their chase in challenging batting conditions before lunch, with Sanderson and Harry Conway getting the ball to talk but Ben McKinney responded by clubbing one to the boundary.

Alex Lees and McKinney were starting to find more run-scoring opportunities as they navigated the opening 10 overs successfully, but Northamptonshire found the breakthrough just before lunch as Guthrie got McKinney, who was caught brilliantly by Bartlett at backward point.

Lees was joined by Will Rhodes at the crease and the Northamptonshire bowlers continued to cause the Durham batters problems. The impressive Conway then got the vital wicket of Lees as the Durham captain edged a delivery straight to second slip.

Rhodes was heading back to the pavilion shortlyafter as Calvin Harrison got him lbw to give Northamptonshire the edge and Sanderson got Graham Clark lbw to leave the hosts in trouble. Bedingham responded to the double blow by thrashing a Harrison delivery down the ground for six.

Bedingham and Ackermann, who came into the game as Ben Stokes’ replacement, adopted a rearguard action and took the hosts through to tea without further loss.

The Durham pair continued their stand and Bedingham reached his half-century with a glorious cover drive.

The South African international then put his foot on the gas, with runs flowing quickly from his bat.

There was yet more drama, as Bedingham launched a Harrison ball towards the boundary and it was caught by Guthrie on the boundary, but it was a no-ball.

That mistake came back to haunt Harrison as Bedingham heaved a delivery over the leg-side boundary for six. Ackermann then started to play his shots as Durham neared the target, with the fifth-wicket partnership passing 150.

Bedingham brought up his fourth century of the season, while Ackermann brought up his first half-century of the season with the first boundary of his innings.

The pair then secured the victory, which gives their side a healthy lead at the top of Division Two.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.