Cricket: Durham Lose Early Advantage
Steve Harmison was rested with an Engalnd recall likely as Durham struggled against the Warwickshire bowling attack.
Warwickshire's bowlers finally gave the locals something to smile about yesterday, but their mood might have taken a turn for the worse had Durham not been asked by England's coach Duncan Fletcher to rest Steve Harmison ahead of their one-day warm-up game against Ireland on Tuesday.
Harmison has been recovering from a shin injury that has kept him out of England action since March, but he is set to be named today in the 15-man squad for the trip to Belfast, as well as the Twenty20 and one-day internationals against Sri Lanka, and he remained in Chester-le-Street yesterday to work with England's bowling coach Kevin Shine. If that led to grumbles that he would have been better off adding to the 32 first-class overs he has sent down this season, then Durham - who also had to make do without Liam Plunkett - still managed to dismiss Warwickshire for 208 on a two-paced strip that provoked consternation in the home dressing-room and a cursory tea-time inspection from Tony Pigott, the ECB's pitch-liaison officer.
Durham's subsequent collapse meant the obligatory call to Lord's that umpires make after the fall of 15 first-day wickets, but right now it is Warwickshire's batting which is of more concern. They have passed 300 once in their last eight innings and the record-breaking run glut of their championship-winning 2004 summer is fading from the memory.
Their collapse of nine for 105 in 39 at least cast a retrospective glow on Ian Bell's 53, an oasis of calm and class amid a flurry of wickets. Bell has been shelved by the Test side, but can expect to play a part in the one-dayers against Sri Lanka after emerging - almost uniquely - from the disastrous 5-1 defeat in India with his reputation intact.
His driving through midwicket provided a brief reminder of the form which helped him top the Test averages in Pakistan, but after his off-stump was disturbed by Ottis Gibson's yorker the innings unravelled. Alex Loudon was trapped leg-before soon after and Gibson had three for three in 11 balls when he gated Jim Troughton.
Graham Onions added three scalps to maintain his position as the leading England-qualified wicket-taker in the First Division, but Warwickshire were clearly determined to make a fight of it. Heath Streak removed both openers, and when Lee Daggett got rid of Gary Pratt and Gareth Breese in quick succession, Durham's advantage had evaporated.
Harmison has been recovering from a shin injury that has kept him out of England action since March, but he is set to be named today in the 15-man squad for the trip to Belfast, as well as the Twenty20 and one-day internationals against Sri Lanka, and he remained in Chester-le-Street yesterday to work with England's bowling coach Kevin Shine. If that led to grumbles that he would have been better off adding to the 32 first-class overs he has sent down this season, then Durham - who also had to make do without Liam Plunkett - still managed to dismiss Warwickshire for 208 on a two-paced strip that provoked consternation in the home dressing-room and a cursory tea-time inspection from Tony Pigott, the ECB's pitch-liaison officer.
Durham's subsequent collapse meant the obligatory call to Lord's that umpires make after the fall of 15 first-day wickets, but right now it is Warwickshire's batting which is of more concern. They have passed 300 once in their last eight innings and the record-breaking run glut of their championship-winning 2004 summer is fading from the memory.
Their collapse of nine for 105 in 39 at least cast a retrospective glow on Ian Bell's 53, an oasis of calm and class amid a flurry of wickets. Bell has been shelved by the Test side, but can expect to play a part in the one-dayers against Sri Lanka after emerging - almost uniquely - from the disastrous 5-1 defeat in India with his reputation intact.
His driving through midwicket provided a brief reminder of the form which helped him top the Test averages in Pakistan, but after his off-stump was disturbed by Ottis Gibson's yorker the innings unravelled. Alex Loudon was trapped leg-before soon after and Gibson had three for three in 11 balls when he gated Jim Troughton.
Graham Onions added three scalps to maintain his position as the leading England-qualified wicket-taker in the First Division, but Warwickshire were clearly determined to make a fight of it. Heath Streak removed both openers, and when Lee Daggett got rid of Gary Pratt and Gareth Breese in quick succession, Durham's advantage had evaporated.
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