Panel reprieves Durham

Durham escaped punishment from an ECB pitch panel after 38 wickets fell in under two days at the Riverside.

A panel was convened at the Riverside this evening, bad light having narrowly prevented the LV County Championship Division One match against Kent finishing in two days.

Needing 177 to win, Kent reached 96 for three then slipped to 116 for eight before accepting the offer to suspend play with 10 overs left.

It had been decided overnight to convene a panel following the fall of 15 wickets in two sessions on the first day, and Phil Sharpe was joined by fellow pitch liaison officer David Hughes and the ECB’s chief pitches advisor, Chris Wood.

But after interviewing umpires John Holder and Tim Robinson, the captain and coaches of both sides and Durham head groundsman David Measor, the panel decided to take no further action against Durham.

Resuming on 43 for five, Kent were all out for 78, the second lowest total made against Durham in the County Championship.

With the ball continuing to swing and seam, Durham then repeated their first-innings slide in going from 32 without loss to 108 all out.

Robbie Joseph took 6-32 as bowlers dominated at the Riverside © Getty Images

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Robbie Joseph took a career-best 6-32 and there were six catches behind the stumps for Geraint Jones.

Riverside pitches have been much improved in the last two years, as Kent are aware after making 301 for four in their Friends Provident Trophy semi-final win last month.

After recent rain, this one has always helped the seamers, but it appeared to be easing during Kent’s second innings revival until Mark Davies took four late wickets to add to his 5-21 in the first innings.

Kent tinkered with their batting order in an attempt to hit their way out of trouble but it was the class of Martin van Jaarsveld which kept them afloat.

He put on 62 in 11 overs for the fourth wicket, with the promoted Ryan McLaren, and was unbeaten on 46 at the close. He will have James Tredwell for company in the morning.

At the start of Kent’s innings Joe Denly offered Graham Onions a return catch off a leading edge, then Amjad Khan, sent in to slog, was pinned lbw by a first-ball yorker.

McLaren put on 34 with Rob Key before the skipper was lbw in Liam Plunkett’s first over, and the tide was really turning when van Jaarsveld took 18 off Onions’ sixth over.

Davies replaced Onions and had McLaren caught behind for 44 in his fourth over before also finding the edge of Jones and Joseph’s bats while Matt Walker clipped to midwicket.

Davies and Callum Thorp shared the wickets after Kent resumed on 43 for five in the morning then, with 11 overs to bat until lunch, Durham reached 32 without loss.

Three wickets went down for four runs straight after the break, including that of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who departed third ball, lbw to Joseph. Only Will Smith, with 28 off 66 balls, offered much resistance.