Durham wrap up victory over MCC

Champion County friendly match, Abu Dhabi
Durham 459-9 dec & 228-6 dec beat MCC 162 & 214 by 311 runs
Match scorecard

Durham took less than an hour to seal victory on day four

Durham needed just 45 minutes of the final day's play to wrap up a 311-run victory over the MCC in Abu Dhabi.

Beginning on 156-7 in pursuit of an unlikely 526 to win, MCC saw Jon Lewis (32) caught behind off Ian Blackwell (4-70) off the first ball of the day.

Steve Harmison (2-39) accounted for Dean Cosker soon after, before Tim Murtagh's unbeaten 55 briefly held up the reigning county champions.

But Scott Borthwick (4-57) trapped Steve Kirby lbw to wrap up the game.

Durham were on course for a three-day victory but were held up by an eighth-wicket stand of 59 between Murtagh and Lewis.

But that partnership was ended when Lewis contrived to nick a Blackwell long-hop through to wicketkeeper Phil Mustard.

When Harmison snared Cosker eight balls later, Murtagh was left with just last man Kirby for company. However, he was able to add the 23 runs he needed for his half-century in a 10th-wicket stand of 35.

He was dropped by Mustard off Harmison moments after reaching the landmark but the game was wrapped up when a Borthwick googly deceived Kirby.

Durham all-rounder Ian Blackwell told BBC Newcastle:
"If we were back home in England we would be practicing indoors and wouldn't be getting any form of competitive so it gives us the chance to play some really good cricket and get some miles in the legs.

"The squad hasn't changed at all and we've got a couple of very good additions in Scott Borthwick and Ben Stokes and there's still a lot of guys to come back in, it all looks very good for us again.

"We're not going to take anything for granted of course but we've still got a very good squad."