Fell falls as Worcestershire take the slow road

Worcestershire 223 for 4 (Fell 83, Kohler-Cadmore 46*) v Durham
Scorecard

Tom Fell was cruelly run out for 83 as Worcestershire took the attritional approach in reaching 223 for 4 from 83 overs on the first day of their LV= County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street.

Fell had helped add 93 for the fourth wicket when his partner, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, played the ball to long leg, where Graham Onions fielded it in a sufficiently fumbling manner to create fatal indecision.

Fell called for a third run, to which his partner initially responded before changing his mind when they were almost together in mid-pitch. Fell's dive back into his crease was to no avail, ending a high-class innings, while Kohler-Cadmore was unbeaten on 46 when bad light ended play.

"It was a very disappointing way to get out because I felt I was on for a hundred," said Fell. "It was the sort of freak incident you have to laugh about, otherwise you would cry. The way Graham Onions reacted we thought it had gone for four, but suddenly the ball was flying in as we were stopping and starting. It was a big misjudgement and I hope it will never happen again.

"It's the first time I've batted here and the pitch wasn't as tough to bat on as I'd been led to believe. It's a bit slow and tacky and we would have fielded if we'd won the toss. So after losing it we feel we are in a good position."

Needing to win the last two games to have any hope of survival in Division One, Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell set out to blunt Onions and Chris Rushworth after being put in when play began 30 minutes late.

But after mounting a painstaking vigil all morning to reach 17 off 92 balls, Mitchell fell to the third ball after lunch. He played back to a ball from off-spinner Ryan Pringle which turned just enough to gain an lbw decision.

Compared with his captain, Brett D'Oliveira had been positively fluent in making 36 out of an opening stand of 50 before falling lbw to Barry McCarthy.

But with Fell playing himself in cautiously the score had advanced to only 67 off 33 overs at lunch.

Joe Clarke helped Fell put on 42 before he edged Onions low to third slip's right, where Gordon Muchall held a brilliant catch.

An early tea was taken after rain arrived with Fell on 32 and Kohler-Cadmore on 6, leaving what would have been a 40-over final session had bad light not intervened.

A rare false stroke from Fell saw him edge Jamie Harrison for four, but the drive through extra cover off the same bowler, which took him to 50 off 119 balls, was a shot of pure elegance.

A hook in front of square off McCarthy was another text-book stroke and his third championship hundred of the season looked a certainty until his unfortunate dismissal.

Ross Whiteley had moved comfortably to 16 at the close.