Blackwell follows Di Venuto's lead

9 April 2009

Michael Di Venuto leads the way as he and Mark Stoneman put on 104

Michael Di Venuto hit the maiden first-class half-century of the summer and Ian Blackwell a debut fifty as Durham made an encouraging start against MCC at Lord's.

Opener Di Venuto struck 53 while Blackwell made a typical dash to 63 not out, from just 61 balls, by the close of the opening day of the season curtain-raiser, which Durham reached on 244 for four.

Two rain stoppages halted play before lunch and delayed the start of the afternoon session, but Durham made light of the interruptions after being put in to bat - a move which left the England Test batting hopefuls among the representative XI, particularly Michael Vaughan and Ian Bell, kicking their heels.

However, if MCC captain Robert Key expected some early assistance for his bowlers on an overcast day, it did not transpire into immediate success.

Openers Mark Stoneman and Di Venuto, the only Durham batsman to pass 1,000 first-class runs in their title-winning season of 2008, began with a century stand.

Di Venuto struck boundaries in each of the first three overs, twice cutting hard at Kabir Ali either side of tucking a leg-side delivery from Sajid Mahmood to the fine-leg fence.

Stoneman, the other half of the north-east county's left-handed opening combination, accumulated his runs at a more sedate pace and got stuck on 20 either side of the first shower.

He was still on that score when, after the first resumption, he edged Tim Bresnan to first slip, where Stephen Moore floored a straightforward opportunity.

Michael Vaughan is forced to wait for his chance to impress the England selectors as he chases a Test recall

And the rain blew in during Bresnan's next over, the 16th of the innings, to drive the players from the field once more.

Di Venuto was celebrating a 67-ball fifty not long after the afternoon restart but he had not added to his total when a push at Yorkshire's Bresnan, a late replacement for Middlesex pace bowler Steven Finn, offered Bell a slip catch.

That wicket was the first of four to fall for 37 runs either side of tea as MCC hit back strongly.

All-rounder Bresnan dismissed Stoneman for 49 on the verge of tea with a delivery which beat the outside edge and clipped off stump.

Warwickshire's 20-year-old seamer Chris Woakes then gained reward for a fine display in established company when a delivery which swung away and bounced found Gordon Muchall’s edge and provided wicketkeeper James Foster with a straightforward catch.

Former Durham captain Dale Benkenstein spooned a pull at a harmless long hop from Mahmood straight to square-leg, but from a position of 141 for four, new skipper Will Smith and Blackwell shared a three-figure alliance.

Smith, captaining his county for the first time at the home of cricket, dropped anchor for an unbeaten 43 while former England one-day player Blackwell blazed away, taking advantage of the short boundary on the grandstand side of the ground to hit 11 fours.