Rudolph ton keeps Yorkshire's title hopes alive
Three late wickets by their former team-mate Mitch Claydon checked Yorkshire's cruise to victory against Durham, but with only 54 needed and six wickets standing they should stay in contention for the County Championship Division One title
18-Aug-2010
Yorkshire 255 and 245 for 4 v Durham 213 and 340
Scorecard
Scorecard
Three late wickets by their former team-mate Mitch Claydon checked Yorkshire's
cruise to victory against Durham, but with only 54 needed and six wickets
standing they should stay in contention for the County Championship Division
One title.
On a Chester-le-Street pitch becoming progressively flatter after 17 wickets
fell on the first day, Claydon forced Jacques Rudolph to play on for 100 and
reduced Yorkshire from 181 for one to 228 for 4.
Chasing a target of 299, they closed on 245 for 4, with skipper Andrew Gale
unbeaten on 36 and nightwatchman Steve Patterson on three after surviving an
impassioned first ball lbw appeal by Claydon.
Rudolph was troubled only by the swing of the luckless Chris Rushworth in
racing to his fourth Championship century of the season off 137 balls, with 15
fours. He put on 113 with Adam Lyth, who fell for 48 when he tried to force away Ben
Stokes' third ball off the back foot and edged to Michael Di Venuto at second
slip.
First innings century-maker Anthony McGrath helped to take the total to 181
before Claydon struck. He forced Rudolph back with a ball of steep bounce, which the left-hander
played down into his stumps, then McGrath sliced a drive to point, where Stokes
held a good low catch.
In between those two wickets, Gale hit three successive balls from Claydon for
four and it seemed he might want to claim the extra half hour for a three-day
finish. But that was out of the question once Jonny Bairstow had departed for 13,
edging Claydon to Phil Mustard.
The warning signs that the pitch was placid were there in the morning for
Durham as their tailenders helped Dale Benkenstein add 133 to the overnight 207
for 6. Benkenstein never looked like getting out until he sensed he was running out of
support after Liam Plunkett edged a drive to second slip and Claydon was lbw to
the new ball.
Both had looked in no trouble, making 30 and 29 respectively, but after
Rushworth was dropped on nought by Gale at cover Benkenstein dabbled outside off
stump and edged to the wicketkeeper to fall for 74. Rushworth then hit four fours in an over off Patterson on his way to 28 before he was bowled by the second ball after lunch, giving Patterson his fourth
wicket.
There were also four for Oliver Hannon-Dalby, continuing to deputise for Tim
Bresnan, who arrived back from The Oval where he had been released by England in
mid-afternoon.