Matthew Kuhnemann has bowled Durham to a dramatic final-day victory in the County Championship, taking a five-wicket haul against Worcestershire at Chester-le-Street’s Riverside Ground on Sunday.
The Queenslander, who missed out on a Cricket Australia contract last week, claimed 5-53 from 23.4 overs on day four of the high-scoring contest, helping roll the visitors for 192 in the fourth innings to secure a thrilling 121-run victory, Durham’s first win of the season.
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Durham captain Scott Borthwick and David Bedingham combined for a belligerent 196-run partnership for the third wicket on Sunday morning, declaring 20 minutes before lunch to set Worcestershire a 314-run target for victory.
Needing ten wickets from 70 overs, Durham snared two early breakthroughs before Kuhnemann started chipping away at Worcestershire’s middle order. The left-armed tweaker knocked over Joe Leach and wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick with a pair of gems that beat the outside edge and crashed into off stump.
Durham seamer Matthew Potts, who finished with 3-67 from 18 overs, removed Worcestershire captain Brett D’Oliveira and Ben Gibbon in consecutive deliveries to put the hosts one wicket away from victory.
In a late twist, tailenders Adam Finch and Dillon Pennington survived 13.4 overs to send a scare through the Durham camp before Kuhnemann delivered the decisive blow with less than six overs remaining in the match.
With seven fielders crowded around the bat, a faster, flatter delivery crept through Pennington’s defences, and Kuhnemann roared with delight as the Australian’s ecstatic teammates mobbed him.
Elsewhere in the County Championship, New South Wales all-rounder Sean Abbott smacked 52 (40) not out during Surrey’s thumping victory over Hampshire at The Oval.
Abbott, who received a CA contract last week, also claimed two wickets during the match, while Surrey teammate and former Australian quick Daniel Worrall took 5-40 from 17 overs in the second innings.
Ollie Pope was the hero for Surrey, blasting an entertaining 122 (102) not out on the final day as the hosts chased the 243-run target in 55.2 overs on Sunday.
The England Test No. 3, who scored 91 in the first innings, combined with opener Dom Sibley for an unbeaten 193-run partnership to secure the nine-wicket triumph, with the duo knocking off the remaining 145 runs in 20.2 overs during the evening session.
Pope plundered 100 runs from 70 deliveries after the tea break, finishing the match with back-to-back sixes off Hampshire spinner Felix Organ.
Meanwhile, Chris Tremain’s impressive form in the County Championship has continued, with the NSW paceman taking six scalps during Northamptonshire’s seven-wicket victory over Middlesex.
The right-armed seamer claimed 3-34 in the first innings, headlined by a diving return catch to remove Tom Helm, before taking 3-41 on day three to pass 300 wickets at first-class level.
West Australian captain Sam Whiteman scored a gritty 60 not out in the fourth innings, his maiden fifty in the County Championship, guiding Northamptonshire towards the 119-run target and their first victory of the season.
The 31-year-old, who scored 13 in the first innings, reached his half-century in 75 deliveries, contributing seven boundaries and a six.
“Sam Whiteman has played an unbelievable knock and brought us home,” Northamptonshire skipper Luke Procter said after the triumph.
“It was only a matter of time to be honest. He’s a proper player.”
Victorian veteran Peter Siddle was at his vintage best at Trent Bridge this week, claiming five wickets during Somerset’s 165-run loss to Nottinghamshire.
Somerset teammate Cameron Bancroft, coming off a prolific Sheffield Shield campaign for Western Australian, scored 27 and 16 in the low-scoring affair, with England veteran Stuart Broad knocking over the right-hander in the second innings with an absolute peach.
Bancroft somewhat redeemed himself in the field, holding onto a stunning one-handed grab at second slip to remove Ben Slater in the second innings for 24.
Broad claimed 2-21 in the second innings to help Nottinghamshire roll the visitors for 129 in 38.2 overs on day four — teenage wicketkeeper James Rew top-scored with 25.
Nottinghamshire opener Ben Duckett, looking to push his case for Ashes selection, scored 75 and 15 for the hosts, while England spinner Jack Leach finished the match with 1-56 from 16 overs.
England veteran James Anderson, who celebrates his 41st birthday this year, claimed five wickets during Lancashire’s drawn contest against Essex in Chelmsford, removing former Test captain Alastair Cook LBW in both innings for 16 and 0.
Kent opener Zak Crawley, who is fighting for a spot in England’s Test side ahead of the Ashes, was trapped LBW by Warwickshire seamer Chris Rushworth twice in the same day, departing for 0 and 12 in a thumping innings defeat at Edgbaston.
England seamer Chris Woakes snared five wickets for Warwickshire during the one-sided contest, a timely reminder to national selectors of the threat he poses with the Dukes ball.
Victorian captain Peter Handscomb, who also missed out on a CA contract last week, scored 15 in his lone knock during Leicestershire’s rain-affected draw against Derbyshire, while Gloucestershire’s match against Yorkshire was abandoned due to weather.
