County Championship 2024. Division 1. Durham v Somerset 24^th and 25^th May. Chester-le-Street.

Jake Ball replaced Migael Pretorius as a concussion replacement after Somerset’s first innings.

Durham. A.Z. Lees, S.G. Borthwick (c), C.N. Ackermann, D.G. Bedingham, O.G. Robinson (w), B.A. Stokes, G. Clark, C.F. Parkinson, P. Coughlin, B.A. Raine, P.M. Siddle.

Somerset. T.B. Abell, M.T. Renshaw, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M. Pretorius/J.T. Ball, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach.

Overnight. Somerset 171. Durham 177 for 6. Durham lead by six runs with four first innings wickets standing.

Final day 25th May – Disbelief

It could be seen in the faces of the small coterie of Somerset supporters who had made the 350-mile road trip, or five-and-a-half-hour rail journey, to the North East. This was a crushing Somerset defeat. Worse for the spirit, it had been far from inevitable at the start of the second day, even less so half an hour later. Durham had lost three wickets in that time to find themselves 28 ahead with only one wicket standing and Somerset pressing hard for the last. It had been an exceptional fightback by Somerset from a calamitous 84 for 7 immediately after lunch on the first day. Now, half an hour into the second day, the match was back in balance and there was Somerset hope that it might yet be won. Half an hour before tea, the match was over, and Somerset had lost by an innings. They were bowled out for 88 in their second innings, losing their last six wickets for 43 runs in the face of some exceptional bowling from Durham’s pace attack. The fall from hope was so precipitous, so total, this match may bedevil the memories of the Somerset supporters who were there as do Horsham 2013, Guildford 2018 and Southampton 2019.

The day began well enough for Somerset. Jake Ball, playing only because of the concussion injury to Migael Pretorius, was the only Somerset bowler to consistently match the Durham attack, but with support, from Overton in particular, he had taken three of the six Durham wickets to fall on the first day. With his third ball of the second he removed David Bedingham, batting a class above anyone else in the match, for 101, a devastating score in a low-scoring game. Ball delivered a perfect late outswinger initially directed at off stump which Bedingham had to play and James Rew took a straightforward catch. Durham 180 for 7. Lead 9. Game on as they say. Even more on when Craig Overton, Somerset’s talisman bowler, bowled another outswinger, wider than the one which removed Bedingham, but Paul Coughlin chased it and edged straight to Tom Lammonby at second slip. Durham 183 for 8. Coughlin 2. Lead 12.

Then, shades of things to come, Ben Raine drove Overton’s next two balls for four, one with more than a hint of an edge, backward of backward point and one, with a check drive, through the covers. From there, as the Somerset bowlers searched for movement, the Durham tailenders drove hard to the boundary, the left-handed Callum Parkinson square off Ball and Raine through the covers again off Overton. Then, for a moment, Ball fought back, pitched full on middle and off with a hint of outswing and Parkinson edged to Rew as he tried to keep it out. Durham 199 for 9. Parkinson 15. Lead 28. Still, it felt, though the ball was clearly moving, and Durham had an attack designed to exploit it, a good start from Somerset’s batters would keep Somerset in the match.

The balance though now shifted heavily, and quickly, towards Durham before the Somerset openers could pick up their bats. With Durham’s final two at the crease, both bowlers, the fours began to flow. Sixty-six soul-crushing runs including ten boundaries, each feeling like a dagger thrust into Somerset hearts, came in 12 overs. “Did you see how the heads went down in that last wicket partnership” asked one Somerset supporter after the match, “And Raine and Siddle walked off with their chests puffed out.” Peter Siddle, late of Somerset, got that Durham final charge underway. He drove his third ball, from Ball, backward of square with an open face. There was luck too for Durham which hurt more than runs off the middle. Raine attempted to pull Ball. There was an audible click off the bat and the ball flew high over Rew’s head to the boundary. Then, more Somerset pain as 11 runs came in an over from Overton, Raine cutting and driving to rising applause and cheers from the Durham crowd. “He’s alluss worth a few runs is Ben,” the local comment.

He was worth a few more yet, as was Siddle as he steered Ball through backward point for four to take the Durham lead to 60 which, in the conditions, felt like a mountain. Overton and Ball each bowled a seven over spell, despite the punishment they, Overton in particular, were taking. Eventually they were relieved, Josh Davey and Lewis Gregory took up the attack. Still the ball swung as Davey curved a ball into Siddle, but Siddle stepped back and lofted it over extra cover for four to the ever-rising cheers of the Durham supporters. Durham’s tailenders were taking control of the match, Durham supporters knew it and Somerset ones could feel it. A straight drive for two followed, a Durham supporter saying, “That’s a 70-run lead, mun,” words which hammered into the numbed Somerset brain. Seventy runs truly was a mountain in the prevailing conditions, conditions which showed no sign of relenting.

As if to add to Somerset’s woes, the sun, which had warmed the first hour, was now hidden behind a blanket of thick white cloud which brought a chill to the air. It brought too more thoughts of the damage that the swinging ball might do in the hands of the Durham attack. Swing it might, but still Raine and Siddle drove Durham on. Ten runs came from a Gregory over, all from Raine with two drives and a hook. The cheers were uproarious for the hook, or so was my first thought, but the true explanation was not long in coming, “We’ve got a bonus point,” the exultant Durham comment. Durham had passed 250 on a pitch where a par score was barely 200. And still they drove on, an on drive off Davey, and one through extra cover off Gregory, both to Siddle. Then Raine, on 46, drove at an outswinger from Gregory and was caught by Rew. Durham 265. Siddle 31 not out. Lead 94. It was devastating for Somerset as those sagging heads revealed. That in itself was a shock. It was the first time in the 2024 season I had seen Somerset heads sag. Even after that near calamitous collapse at The Oval which so nearly cost Somerset the match the heads stayed up.

Worse was to follow. Somerset had barely opened their innings before Tom Abell came forward to Raine, fresh from his onslaught with the bat, and edged straight to Robinson behind the stumps. Somerset 12 for 1. Abell 2. Deficit 82. It was a piercing blow. An over later there was another. Matt Renshaw was caught half forward by a ball from Siddle which kept uncommonly low and bowled him, his bat belatedly trying to jab down. Somerset 12 for 2. Renshaw 6. Tom Lammonby and Andrew Umeed dug in and saw Somerset to lunch on 19 for 2, but they were still 75 behind.

It was a slow walk around the ground at lunchtime. My insistence on walking anti-clockwise seems to run counter to the direction most people take if the number of people I met is any measure. Somerset supporters and Durham ones both, and Durham supporters generally are among the most talkative in the country. Much of the credit for Durham’s sudden rise to prominence was given by one Durham member to Ryan Campbell, appointed Head Coach at the beginning of 2023.

Moving from chat to chat, I had reached just over halfway when the players returned to the middle. The pitch was much closer from that side of the ground than from the Members Balcony opposite where I had spent both days. I stood and watched for a while as Lammonby and Umeed fought to rebuild the Somerset innings. The Riverside ground has a large playing area and spectators wishing to circumnavigate it have to do so behind the stands which makes the walk even longer. It was six overs into the afternoon session before I reached my seat during which time Somerset had chiselled out ten more runs.

I regained my seat with the score on 29 for 2, 14 overs into the innings and still 65 behind. I had not been back an over when a ball from Ben Stokes lifted unexpectedly on Lammonby and Robinson took another catch. Somerset 34 for 3. Lammonby 14. Deficit 60. The pit of the stomach sagged for there seemed no way back for Somerset in the face of the unrelenting Durham onslaught. It sagged even more in Stokes’ next over when, with Umeed facing, the ball swung away late to a defensive stroke. Stokes’ pace made the ball virtually unplayable, and this time the catch went to Colin Ackermann at second slip. Somerset 45 for 4. Umeed 16. Deficit 49. The bowling of Stokes, albeit in conditions made for him, was as much in a different class to the rest of the bowling in the match as Bedingham’s batting had been. His movement comes devastatingly late in the flight of the ball and at pace.

Josh Davey had come to the crease at the fall of Lammonby’s wicket, Tom Banton being too ill to bat. There was doubtless reason behind the decision to send a bowler in, admittedly one who can hold a straight bat, but Davey coming in at five felt, from outside the dressing room, to be something of a desperate move. Briefly, he and Rew held Durham at bay. He even pulled Paul Coughlin to deep midwicket for four, but from the Durham Members Balcony it felt like Somerset were flailing in the face of an irresistible force. Runs were at a premium and, it seemed, Durham were bowling guided missiles at the edge of the bat. For six overs Davey resisted, but the inevitable followed. This time Coughlin fired a ball in on middle and off, the accuracy of the Durham bowling could be seen, even from square of the wicket, from the nature of the desperate defence of the batters. The ball flew off the edge just to the right of Ackermann at second slip. Somerset 57 for 5. Davey 7. Deficit 37.

Two overs later, Rew was defeated by a near-impossible ball from Stokes. Full, it swung very late, Rew had to play, and the almost inevitable edge went virtually straight to Robinson behind the stumps. Somerset 61 for 6. Rew 7. Deficit 33. The torrent of wickets and the absence of Banton brought the prospect of an innings defeat into view, any thought of Somerset saving the match having long since been given up.

Craig Overton is a fighter and he joined Lewis Gregory. He pulled Coughlin for four but, four overs after he came in, he went the way of the rest. Coming forward to Stokes he edged low to Ackermann. It was Ackermann’s fifth slip catch of the match and Robinson took six behind the stumps, a combined statistic which of itself left little doubt about the quality of the bowling and the nature of the conditions. Somerset 69 for 7. Overton 6. Deficit 25. Somerset were on the point of being overwhelmed by a rampant Durham cheered on by a rampant crowd. Jack Leach did manage to drive Coughlin for four as the wind of an impending Durham victory blew around him, but Stokes took the ball for his 14th over of the innings as the Somerset batters were denied any respite. “Stokes is bowling endlessly,” said one Durham voice, “He’s looking better and faster than he has for some years.”

It was Raine though who finished the Somerset innings and the match. He struck Gregory on the pads. “That’s out! That’s out!” cried the man a couple of seats along from me before, with the same certainty, although less excitement, the umpire raised his finger. Gregory had made seven from 37 balls which had tested his skill to the limit. His determination profited Somerset nothing. The scoreboard read 77 for 8 with Banton not expected to bat. Durham still led by 17. “We could win by an innings,” the comment. To the Somerset mind it seemed inevitable. And so it was. Leach did cut Stokes for four and he and Ball took some singles but the inevitable came with an attempt by Leach to pull Raine through midwicket only to be bowled. Somerset 88 for 9. Leach 13. Ball 2 not out. Deficit six. Banton absent ill.

The news of Banton had not filtered through to the crowd and there was a moment’s hesitation as the players and officials shook hands. As they began to walk towards the Pavilion the reality sank in, and a roar erupted which outdid all those that had preceded it. The applause was unbroken and saw Durham off the field. Durham supporters were left looking at each other in disbelief at the spectacular turn of events. The few Somerset ones too, but theirs were very different looks of disbelief.

Result. Somerset 171 (M. Pretorius 53, B.A. Stokes 4-54, P.M. Siddle 3-27, B.A. Raine 3-41) and 88 (B.A. Stokes 4-23, B.A. Raine 3-26). Durham 265 (D.G. Bedingham 101, O.G. Robinson 46, B.A. Raine 46). Durham won by an innings and six runs  Durham 20 points. Somerset 3 points.