Warwicks Toil At Durham

Last updated : 05 June 2012 By Covsupport News Service...

Warwickshire County Cricket Club toiled on the opening day of their County Championship game with Durham.

At the Riverside Ground in Chester Le Street, Durham batted first and had put 22 runs on the board when Mark Stoneman was caught by Clarke off the bowling of Keith Barker.

Gordon Muchall came in but only last seven balls before he too was caught. This time, Woakes had the wicket from Clarke's catch.

Will Smith and Ben Stokes came together and put in a solid partnership to take Durham through lunch and into a rain affected second session. That partnership had reached 109 when Chris Wright bowled Stokes who had made 66 from 139 balls.

With the score on 143, Wright had his second wicket when he had Smith, after he had made 47, trapped lbw in the 55th over.

Five overs later and with Durham on 154-4, play was halted yet again when the rain came down.

Play did resume at 5.20pm and saw Blenkenstein and Collingwood give away catches only to have them dropped by Ambrose and Clarke.

They moved the total on to 221 before Blenkenstein, who had made 40, nudged a catch to Chris Wright who held it to give Chris Woakes a second wicket.

Durham closed on 228-5.