Liam Plunkett

By Gary Watton
August 7 2015

In a number of respects, the local rivalry between the northern neighbours of Durham and Yorkshire has eclipsed the roses derby fixtures. After all, Durham and Yorkshire have dominated the English County Championship over the last three summers, and so there tends to be more at stake nowadays than merely local bragging rights. On this occasion, Durham simply had to win in order to make sizeable inroads into Yorkshire's comfortable lead at the top of the English charts. However, the 2014 champions were once more too hot to handle and completed a convincing but rare league double over their northern foes, with more than one day to spare.

Peculiarly, twenty wickets fell on the first day, which seemed like a one-day match, which Yorkshire would have won by six runs! Then, after a further avalanche of wickets on the second morning, a record-breaking partnership for the sixth wicket against Durham restored some sanity to the proceedings. As a consequence of the Maxwell-Rashid Saturday afternoon fireworks display, they succeeded in taking the match away from the visitors, as Durham were left chasing an improbable 447 for victory. As expected, the Tykes' attack made regular inroads into the away team's batting to wrap up yet another win and leave them sitting comfortably atop the Division One table. Soon the other teams will be requiring snookers. Next on the County Championship agenda is a trip to Sussex on Friday week when the white rose juggernaut will be intent on maintaining their hot winning streak. Maybe just maybe the top order batsmen might join in the runs-scoring too?

YORKSHIRE versus Durham; at Scarborough; Friday the seventh to Sunday the ninth of August. YORKSHIRE won the toss.

YORKSHIRE first innings: 162 (Rushworth 4-37, Onions 3-41)

Durham first innings: 156 (Sidebottom 4-44, Patterson 3-16)

YORKSHIRE second innings: 440 (Maxwell 140, Rashid 127; Rushworth 3-53, Onions 3-95)

Durham second innings: 263 (Burnham 50; Plunkett 4-61, Rashid 3-66)

YORKSHIRE win by 183 runs. YORKSHIRE nineteen points, Durham three points.

Hodd - Scores of nine and 21 didn't exactly vindicate the bold decision to select him as an opener, but the wicket keeper still outperformed the hapless Alex Lees.

Lees - Alex isn't recording any big scores that are necessary from an opening batsman. His one-day form has improved recently, but his four-day form hasn't.

Leaning - His early summer purple patch appears to have deserted him. Scores of sixteen and thirteen are inadequate and heap pressure on the middle order. 

Gale - Andy remains extremely prone to low scores. If he overcomes his early vulnerability, he can make big centuries, but nothing of the sort happened this time.

Ballance - His recent good form in one-day matches disappeared, and two single-figure scores from the England reject will do little to move the England selectors.

Maxwell - Hopelessly under-performing in early summer, Maxwell has been a revelation in the last ten days. 176 runs from two innings here was a great effort.

Rashid - His contribution to the 248 sixth-wicket stand was huge. Adil hit 21 fours in his 164-ball knock. His bowling was not economical, but he still took 4 wickets.

Bresnan - 75 runs from both innings was a satisfactory return. I think that he could easily open the batting. Tim also took three wickets which cost eighty-five runs.

Plunkett - Match figures of five wickets, costing 69 runs, against his former county will keep the big guy in the selector's thoughts for a winter tour place.

Patterson - Steve's 25 overs merely cost fifty-one runs, while he weighed in with three first-innings wickets, and then he made 36 useful runs with the bat.

Sidebottom - Ryan was his lethal self in the Durham first innings but was off-colour second time around. He did share in a crucial last wicket stand with Bresnan.

AVERAGES

BATSMEN (minimum requirement - one hundred runs):

Bairstow - 108.89; 980 runs; highest score - 219 not out; five centuries and four fifties

Bresnan - 55.91; 615 runs; highest score - 169 not out; two centuries and two fifties

Finch - 55.5; 111 runs; highest score - 77 not out; one fifty

Pujara - 52.8; 264 runs; highest score - 133 not out; one century and one fifty

Leaning - 49.06; 785 runs; highest score - 123; three centuries and two fifties

Maxwell - 40.2; 201 runs; highest score - 140; one century

BEST BOWLERS (minimum requirement - ten wickets):

Sidebottom - 18.11; 28 wickets; best bowling: 6-34

Middlebrook - 20.91; eleven wickets; best bowling: 5-82

Brooks - 21.75; 48 wickets; best bowling: 5-44

Patterson - 21.76; 37 wickets; best bowling: 5-11

Plunkett - 25.7; ten wickets; best bowling: 4-61

Rashid - 26.18; twenty-two wickets; best bowling: 4-48

Bresnan - 31.87; 31 wickets; best bowling: 5-85

CURRENT DIVISION ONE STANDINGS:

YORKSHIRE - played eleven matches; 208 points

Middlesex - played twelve matches; 170 points

Warwickshire - played twelve matches; 158 points

Durham - played twelve matches; 154 points

Nottinghamshire - played twelve matches; 149 points

Somerset - played eleven matches; 120 points

Worcestershire - played twelve matches; 112 points

Sussex - played twelve matches; 110 points

Hampshire - played twelve matches; 107 points