Jake Libby registered the highest score of his career as Nottinghamshire established a first innings advantage of 69 on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street.
Libby scored 144, getting his runs from 276 balls, with 11 fours, as Notts made 313. Michael Lumb had earlier scored 82, before becoming one of Graham Onions’ three victims. Onions took three for 84, slightly bettered by Chris Rushworth’s three for 75.
The home side reached the close on 87 for three, having forged a slender lead of just 14, with only seven wickets remaining.
The man of the day was clearly Libby, who could even smile at being last out. “To miss a straight one in the 140s is never too clever but obviously I’m delighted with how the day has gone,” he said.
“Yesterday I thought we were in a tough position and me and Lumby put a good partnership together and I thought he batted really well. It was very good for me to have him at the other end. I just tried to be positive throughout and put away any bad balls I got.”
The opener said he’d been determined to put a good score on the board, after coming close to doing so in recent matches.
“I think in the last six weeks I’ve managed to get starts and obviously scored a few fifties,” he said.
“So the key for me when I got in this time was to make it count and bat for a long period of time and I’m glad that I could do that on this occasion and, hopefully, put a match-winning contribution down.”
The icing on the cake for Notts was to grab three Durham wickets late in the day, including that of the dangerous Mark Stoneman.
“Obviously the wickets came in a quick burst at the end but I thought we bowled really well there and were a little bit unlucky at stages but it’s good to get two more wickets straight after getting Stoneman out,” he added.
Beginning the day on 129 for two in their first innings, 115 runs behind, Notts made solid progress during the opening session, despite losing a couple of wickets.
Lumb, who has scored more runs against Durham than any other first class county, continued his prolific stroke-play from the previous evening but fell when appearing set for his fifth career ton against them.
He’d made 82 when Onions found his outside edge and Scott Borthwick pouched a low catch at second slip.
Brendan Taylor made just five before pushing Barry McCarthy into the hands of Paul Coughlin at point.
Libby had begun the day on 51 and had quickly added to it with a couple of boundaries and a three inside the opening four overs.
His first moment of alarm came when on 87. A leg side delivery from Onions was clipped around the corner but straight at Michael Richardson, who grassed the effort at leg gully, after the ball had flown at him, head high.
The 23-year old reached his second hundred for Notts, just before lunch, getting there from 191 balls, having hit eight fours.
Durham wasted another opportunity to remove the young opener, when Libby had reached 115; Borthwick spilling an edge off McCarthy at slip.
Samit Patel progressed easily to 37, sharing in a stand of 82 with Libby, before getting a daisy-grubber from Keaton Jennings, which clattered into the stumps.
The wicket came in the 77th over and the second new ball, taken as soon as it became due, also reaped dividends. Chris Read was bowled by Rushworth for two and Luke Wood drove Onions to cover for five.
When Luke Fletcher clipped Rushworth into the hands of Paul Collingwood at slip, Notts had lost four wickets for just 18 runs and three for 14 against the new ball.
Imran Tahir proved a good foil for Libby though. The South African international was often left with five balls in every over to negotiate, with Libby being given a single at the start of five consecutive overs.
Tahir eventually fell for 13, hitting Borthwick to cover after being unable to resist against a fellow leg-spinner. Libby was unable to carry his bat through to the end of the innings, being last out as umpire Graham Lloyd adjudged him to be lbw against the bowling of Coughlin.
When Durham batted again, a wonderful piece of footballing talent prevented Mark Stoneman from chopping Fletcher onto his stumps. The ball flew down into the ground and appeared to be about to bounce on top of the sticks before the batsman’s ‘keepy-uppy’ skills manoeuvred the ball away.
As in the first innings, the two openers swept past 50 and were within two runs of wiping out the deficit when Notts struck – not once - but twice.
For the second time in the match Steven Mullaney accounted for Stoneman, having him gobbled up at slip by Brendan Taylor for 39.
Borthwick then miscalculated against Gurney and was lbw for nought, not playing a shot.
Tahir entered the attack with only three overs of the day remaining and had immediate success, bowling Jack Burnham with a googly.
Durham sent Onions out as a nightwatchman and he managed to accompany Jennings through to the close.
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