Collingwood century puts Durham in command
Paul Collingwood's first Durham century since making six in 2005 put the Championship leaders in command against struggling Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street
20-Jun-2011
Paul Collingwood's first Durham century since making six in 2005 put the Championship leaders in command against struggling Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street. Collingwood's 108 helped Durham to 408 for 8 declared, a lead of 223, and in seven overs Yorkshire reached 13 without loss in their second innings.
Rapid half-centuries from Gordon Muchall, Phil Mustard and Scott Borthwick helped Durham make up for the loss of a day and a half by scoring at 5.24 an over on a day when Yorkshire dropped six catches. They were not happy about umpire Tim Robinson changing his mind after giving out Mustard, lbw to Adil Rashid on 58, apparently realising that the Durham captain had edged the ball on to his pad.
Mustard added 12 more runs, but what had really cost Yorkshire was putting him down first ball and again on one after he came in with the score on 141 for 5. The last three wickets at that point had gone to Steve Patterson, who bowled an excellent spell either side of lunch, forcing Collingwood to treat him with the utmost respect.
Patterson was the bowler when Richard Pyrah dropped Mustard first ball at second slip then the same fielder put him down off Ryan Sidebottom. Collingwood's was a very measured innings as he reached 50 off 75 balls and his century off 145. It was also chanceless and it was a surprise when he pushed forward and edged Joe Root's offspin to slip.
That gave Adam Lyth his third catch, but he was guilty of putting down Borthwick off Rashid on 18 and the young left-hander was one short of his career-best 68 when the declaration came.
He put on 68 in 11 overs with Callum Thorp, who drove Root for three sixes in reaching 29.
This was the fourth successive match in which Durham had achieved maximum batting points without a significant contribution from Michael Di Venuto. He has scored 37 runs in four innings since his century at home to Somerset and had already survived a difficult chance to Rashid at third slip when he edged Shahzad to the same fielder.
Bowling in attacking style, Shahzad kept feeding Muchall's cut and cover drive and conceded 36 runs in five overs as Muchall raced to 50 off 40 balls. Yorkshire did enjoy a slice of luck in the day's penultimate over, when Lyth, on four, survived a chance to Mustard's left hand off Thorp.
