Benkenstein and Gibson save Durham with record
By Jon Steer September 25 2006
A record stand of 315 between Dale Benkenstein and Ottis Gibson proved enough to keep Durham in the first division despite them still having to follow on. Durham stay up by finishing half a point ahead of Notts who are relegated after taking just one point from their final game.
A record stand of 315 between Dale Benkenstein and Ottis Gibson proved enough to keep Durham in the first division despite them still having to follow on. Durham stay up by finishing half a point ahead of Notts who are relegated after taking just one point from their final game.
At the start of the match it was widely expected that either Durham or Yorkshire would be playing second division cricket next season. The first two days saw Yorkshire edge to saftey after a mammoth 677-7 declared including a triple century from Darren Lehmann in his final match for the county.
Durham's lack of penetration meant that they took just one bonus bowling point to Yorkshire's maximum batting points and their first objective of securing more points than Yorkshire looked an almost impossibility.
A solid start from Gary Scott and Garry Park gave Durham some hope of survival when they reached 176-2 and news came from Trent Bridge that Notts had been restricted to a single bonus point but almost immediately three wickets fell in quick succession to mean that Durham could not match Yorkshire's tally of bonus points and the target of maximum batting points still looked a long way off.
It was all down to captain Benkenstein and West Indian Ottis Gibson to try and push the total past 400 and do enough to make sure the match ended in a draw. The pair responded magnificently and both passed 150 in a stand worth 315 a record for any wicket.
But Durham still looked to make hard work of survival, just 22 more runs were needed to avoid relegation when Benkenstein was the seventh wicket to fall and the tail followed in double quick time to finish on 518 all out.
A wobbly start in the second innings then saw Durham fall to 16-2 and 82-3 but an unbeaten century from Garry Park and 33 not out from Ben Harmison was enough for Durham to see out the day and earn the required ten points that saw them finish just half a point ahead of defending champions Notts.
Garry Park has made 256 runs in four innings since his debut in the championship last week and looks set to continue for Durham next season now that he has earned his England residential qualification.
Garry will spend the next four month in his country of birth playing cricket for Durban as an overseas player.
Durham's lack of penetration meant that they took just one bonus bowling point to Yorkshire's maximum batting points and their first objective of securing more points than Yorkshire looked an almost impossibility.
A solid start from Gary Scott and Garry Park gave Durham some hope of survival when they reached 176-2 and news came from Trent Bridge that Notts had been restricted to a single bonus point but almost immediately three wickets fell in quick succession to mean that Durham could not match Yorkshire's tally of bonus points and the target of maximum batting points still looked a long way off.
It was all down to captain Benkenstein and West Indian Ottis Gibson to try and push the total past 400 and do enough to make sure the match ended in a draw. The pair responded magnificently and both passed 150 in a stand worth 315 a record for any wicket.
But Durham still looked to make hard work of survival, just 22 more runs were needed to avoid relegation when Benkenstein was the seventh wicket to fall and the tail followed in double quick time to finish on 518 all out.
A wobbly start in the second innings then saw Durham fall to 16-2 and 82-3 but an unbeaten century from Garry Park and 33 not out from Ben Harmison was enough for Durham to see out the day and earn the required ten points that saw them finish just half a point ahead of defending champions Notts.
Garry Park has made 256 runs in four innings since his debut in the championship last week and looks set to continue for Durham next season now that he has earned his England residential qualification.
Garry will spend the next four month in his country of birth playing cricket for Durban as an overseas player.
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