COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Trent Bridge:
Durham 356 Nottinghamshire 171 and 83 by an innings and 102 runs (Durham 20pts, Notts 2pts)
15 -18 July 2009

Harmison's haul on Friday left Durham on the brink of victory

Leaders Durham took only seven balls on day four to wrap up victory over Nottinghamshire by an innings and 102 runs at Trent Bridge.

The home side added only four to their overnight 79-9 before Ian Blackwell had Charlie Shreck caught by Callum Thorp at mid-on to dismiss the hosts for 83.

Only rain denied the champions victory on day three, when Steve Harmison took county-best figures of 6-20.

The big win took Durham 36 points clear at the top of Division One.

It was their fifth win in six games as they bid to defend the County Championship title they won for their first time in their history last year.

In contrast, it was Nottinghamshire's lowest total since being bowled out for 79 by Essex in 2003 as they slumped to their first defeat of the season.

Nottinghamshire bowler Ryan Sidebottom told BBC Radio Nottingham:

"The batting's not been good enough. I'm not here to criticise batsmen because I'm a bowler, but we're not batting too well at the moment.

"We're right up there in the Championship, this was a massive game against Durham and it's disappointing the way we've gone out and played.

"It's a decent wicket to bat on. On the first day we toiled hard and the second morning we took those wickets and we bowled really well as a unit, so we're quite disappointed with the way be batted.

"There's nothing we can do about it, we've just got to keep working hard and try to improve."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version