Cricket: Botham to the fore in a purple phase

Durham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 and 155

Yorkshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 and 85-2

TWENTY wickets fell on an extraordinary day at the Racecourse Ground where Yorkshire were left needing 177 with eight wickets standing to complete their fourth win of the summer.

Durham will still see it as a chance to reach their third victory because no one can foretell just how this pitch will play. Yesterday a Durham bowler opined: 'The ball's seaming all over the place.' A Yorkshire bowler offered: 'There's a lot of crap batting out there.'

No one was injured, nor looked likely to be, and cloud and crosswind played their part; it was a reminder of how much fun cricket used to be before pitches were fully covered.

Yorkshire restarted before another good crowd on a cloudy morning, breezing along, taking 30 runs in 20 minutes, needing only another 119 to lead.

Botham was hit for 14 in his second over, bringing much arm-waving. The blow that rattled Yorkshire's teeth was struck by Simon Hughes. Sachin Tendulkar, going back to a shortish delivery, found the ball taking the edge rather than the middle.

That dismissal lifted Durham spirits and rocked Yorkshire; two balls later Botham hit one of his famous purple patches, Blakey, Byas, White and Hartley all falling before the golden arm: four wickets for seven runs in 22 balls.

Hughes then cleaned up the tail, both bowlers returning their best for Durham, and Yorkshire had lost eight wickets for 22 runs in 52 minutes.

The Racecourse was still buzzing when Jarvis proved that it was not all bad batting: he shattered Wayne Larkins's stumps while the experienced Ned was padding up and had Stewart Hutton caught behind - Durham 3 for 2. The collywobbles crossed from one dressing-room to the other. Just before 3pm Durham were 68 for 8 in their second innings; was Harry Brind hurrying North? Would Durham be fined 25 points?

All they had left was wicket- keeper Chris Scott, a stubborn little Lincolnshireman, and the tail, led by David Graveney. This unlikely ninth-wicket pair, edgy at first, settled into a partnership that banished all such notions and thoroughly exasperated Yorkshire. They had raised 86 in 23 overs, Scott hitting a fine 54 off 83 balls, when he was taken at short leg. Hughes soon followed, giving Mark Robinson the first 10-wicket return of his career, and Yorkshire set off seeking 262 to win just after 5pm.

Martyn Moxon and Simon Kellett cruised to a trouble-free 70 in 18 overs, the latter playing some rare but well-timed offside drives, when Kellett was beaten by a little extra bounce from Steve McEwan. Moxon was removed by a diving return catch that brought a hint of spin.

Yorkshire confirmed that they had received letters from agents representing Aqib Javed and Salim Malik but reiterated that no decision would be taken on an overseas professional contract for next season until the extent of Sachin Tendulkar's commitment to India's possible tour of Sri Lanka, in August next year, is known.