Cricket: Harmison Propels Durham to Victory

The victory was facile for Durham, but of wider interest will be the performance of England's Steve Harmison, who claimed four cheap wickets yesterday, including a spell of three for nought in 15 balls which ripped the heart out of the home middle-order on a chilly, murky day.

In general Harmison, although still short of his full gallop, bowled a much more probing line and length than the first innings. And during that one devastating spell, in particular, there was a noticeable quickening of his pace, as he condemned both of Leicestershire's veteran bowlers, Ottis Gibson and Phil DeFreitas, to ignominious pairs. Gibson, who at least had the consolation of having been Leicestershire's most dangerous bowler by some distance, heaved wildly at a full-length delivery to be bowled, while DeFreitas's furniture was also rearranged, undone by pace alone.

Harmison's first victim had been bowled too, Aftab Habib duly obliging with a compliant shouldering of the arms to a delivery which seemed to deviate very little. Meanwhile young Liam Plunkett also buttressed the fine impression he made on the second day, adding three more wickets.

Firstly he dismissed Darren Maddy with the first ball of the day, caught at first slip, although Maddy's prolonged lingering at the crease suggested that he was not entirely happy with the decision. Darren Robinson soon followed, edging to second slip as Plunkett produced disconcerting lift as well as the odd shooter from the Pavilion End, before returning to trap David Masters palpably leg before to secure the win.

Mark Davies and Dale Benkenstein also chipped in with wickets in an impressive performance from the Durham seamers, making it all the more incomprehensible that Durham have decided to sign Victoria's Mick Lewis as a locum overseas bowler until Queensland's Ashley Noffke recovers from a back injury. Graham Onions is waiting in the wings, as is newly signed Callum Thorp, an Australian with British parents, so it seems nonsensical to fritter away extra money, not just for salary but airfares too.

That is also a minor quibble about a side who performed with admirable snap and purpose in this match, taking their lead from new skipper Mike Hussey, who already looks like he can fulfil a similar role to the one so adroitly played by David Boon during three of Durham's better years in the late 90s.

The contrast with his opposite number, Hylton Ackerman, could not be more stark. The South African Kolpak signing endured a harsh introduction to what he might expect at Grace Road this season.

Only John Maunders of his top-order batsmen showed the necessary application, the former Middlesex left-hander reaching his half-century off 128 balls, sharing in a partnership of 56 with Jeremy Snape before Snape became Harmison's second scalp with an uppish cut to gully. And Paul Nixon produced some meaty thumps in deteriorating light, but he was merely delaying the inevitable as Durham, who only managed two Championship victories in 2004, claimed maximum points.