Travelled north on the first of September for the relegation battle between Nottinghamshire and Durham at Riverside, Chester le Street. Notts look firm favourites to go down but Durham are still on the fringes of the relegation zone and needed the points to retain their first division status. This was day two and yesterday Notts had the best of it bowling the home side out for 244 thanks mainly to Harry Gurney, the left arm seamer, who tok 6-61. In reply Notts were going well with 129-2.
On a bright sunny morning Jake Libby on 51 and Michael Lumb on 68 continued the Notts innings. They started well and it came as a bit of a surprise when Lumb was caught at slip by Borthwick off Onions for 82. The Zimbabwean Brendan Taylor looked out of form, as indeed he did at Scarborough last week, and was dismissed by McCarthy for only five at 186-4. Enter Samit Patel who gave good support to Jake Libby who was going about his business quietly but efficiently.
Jake Libby - career best for Notts
Libby is an interesting character, a rather small man, as was well illustrated when Luke Fletcher joined him at the crease a bit later. He came to Notts from Cornwall, where he had played Minor Counties cricket, but is not as many believe a Cornishman as he was born in Plymouth, Devon. He made a century on county championship debut some two years ago now, but has never really cemented a regular place. However today he took control and made a career best 144, holding the innings together in confident style. He looked as though he would carry his bat through the innings but was in fact last man out with the score on 313.
By then Read, Wood and Fletcher had all gone cheaply with good new ball bowling from Onions and Rushworth, but Imran Tahir, promoted to number ten, played confidently and made a useful thirteen, before fellow spinner Borthwick had him caught by Jack Burnham. Libby followed soon after and Notts were no doubt happy with a first innings lead of sixty nine as it clouded over during the afternoon. Durham just edged ahead before the close and ended on 83-3 in a somewhat perilous position. However Jennings looked in good touch and was joined just before the end by nightwatchman Onions.
The following day, when I was not present, saw the redoubtable Onions outstay his welcome, batting in all for two and a quarter hours to reach a career best of 65 (previous best 41 v Yorkshire in 2007). He shared in a partnership of 162 with Jennings, whose innings of 171 not out had one scribe suggesting him as a possible for the winter tour to Bangladesh, despite his South African origins. Durham were able to declare on 385-8 but sadly Saturday's rain meant no play and no result other than match drawn.
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