Borthwick eases Durham home

posted by John Winn

After Headingley on Sunday, The Riverside on Monday and back to Headingley yesterday it was a bit of a no brainer to return to Chester le Street today as the game was interestingly balanced on a wicket which had provided three great days entertainment and given fair weather, proceedings
 were not likely to last more than two sessions.

Last night's forecast from BBC Newcastle that predicted overnight rain would clear the North East by breakfast to give some sunny spells proved absolutely spot on and when I left the Lower Ure Valley at 9:00 the promised blue sky had appeared. I admired the optimism of the Sussex supporter in front of me at the car park ticket machine who put in enough coins to see him through to Thursday morning. Perhaps he planned to sleep in the car before returning to the south coast. Whatever his frame of mine that of my friends seated in front of jthe leisure centre where it was pleasantly warm was positive as long as Borthwick and Richardson made a good start in the pursuit of the 147 needed.

That they did not, for Richardson was bowled in the fourth over by what looked a beauty from Shahzad who has had an excellent start to his Sussex career. Enter MacLeod who always makes me nervous which he did in spades by taking 25 balls to get off the mark but at the other end Borthwick continued his excellent start to the season and the pair had added 83 bringing victory in sight when MacLeod was caught at third man shortly before lunch. Enter Collingwood, always a reassuring sight and sandwiches were taken with 51 needed. The prize for most filling in a roll went to Our Hartlepool Correspondent and when play resumed the Durham pair went so smoothly that Borthwick when hit successive fours to clinch the deal we had had less than 35 minutes play since lunch.

Borthwick had been offered the opportunity to get his hundred by his skipper but selflessly declined the offer and finished on 97 not out. In his post match interview he described the wicket as one where 'you were never in' but it set up an excellent game of cricket even if it was so far east  that it could have counted as an away match for both teams. For Durham it made it two wins out of two and for Sussex a first defeat after two wins. As I type Leaning and Hodd look like giving Yorkshire a draw and the Five Live Sports Extra commentary has switched to an exciting finish at Taunton where Somerset are in danger of a second home defeat of the campaign. Earlier on the south coast rain washed out Hants v Notts to leave both teams winless after 3 games.

Durham next in action on Saturday (sic) at Lord's from where I believe we might have a report from Tony Hutton.