Bird Battles on a Balanced Opening Day

Jackson Bird produced a devastating spell with the second new ball as Hampshire's bowlers restricted Durham to 278-6 on day one in the LV= County Championship match at the The Ageas Bowl.

Durham were looking in control as Michael Richardson (91) and Gordon Muchall (85*) helped their side recover from 91-4 with a fifth wicket partnership worth 142 runs before the overseas paceman first struck.

Bird (3-80) dismissed both Richardson and Ryan Pringle (0) in consecutive balls to swing the momentum back in Hampshire’s favour after a frustrating afternoon session for the hosts.

The seamer got his side off to a great start, trapping Mark Stoneman LBW for a duck in the fifth ball of the match before James Tomlinson (2-47) then claimed the scalps of first-class debutant Graham Clark (8) and Paul Collingwood (8) as Durham struggled to 59-3.

Scott Borthwick (49) put up some resistance for the visitors at the ground where he made his first-class debut nine years ago and despite the Durham batsman being dropped without scoring at second slip, the former England international look composed as wickets fell around him.

He was dismissed one run short of his half-century, Liam Dawson (1-43) picking up his first scalp on the final ball before lunch in his first game since returning early from a loan spell at Essex.

Muchall and Richardson then steadied the innings after lunch, as the Hampshire bowlers toiled away, but to no reward and the latter passed fifty midway through the afternoon session, passing 3,000 first-class runs in the process.

The wicket-keeper batsman went past the milestone with an edge through the slips off the bowling of leg-spinner Mason Crane (0-50), who was making his first-class debut for the hosts and Muchall soon scored a fifty of his own in the evening session -  the batsman’s fourth half-century against Hampshire as the fifth wicket partnership increased into three figures.

The pair’s stand was eventually broken in the 82^nd over of the game, when the latter was trapped LBW by Bird without playing a shot and Bird then took his third wicket of the match in the very next ball as Pringle was dismissed for a golden duck.

The batsman was well-caught at first slip by interim captain James Vince, who was making his 100^th first-class appearance however Muchall remained at the crease alongside Usman Arshad (19*), as the pair saw the vistors to the close without further loss.

Hampshire will be looking to take the final four wickets on Day Two, which resumes tomorrow at 11am.  

 Words: Scott Taylor

Image: Neil Marshall