County Championship: Marcus Harris hundred has Lancashire on top at Durham

Lancashire were put into bat by Durham under sunny skies at the Banks Homes Riverside and the visitors got off to a fast start, but Matthew Potts struck back for the hosts as George Balderson nicked one to second slip for 14.

Durham soon got their second as Josh Bohannon thrashed Sam Conners’ first ball of the season straight to Potts at cover for five.

Conners continued to cause problems, beating the bats of Keaton Jennings and Harris on numerous occasions, but the Lancashire pair kept their wickets intact while taking run-scoring opportunities when they arose.

Jennings was then dropped twice on 26 as Kasey Aldridge failed to cling on to an edge from a Raine delivery at second slip and David Bedingham dropped him at third slip after Conners found the outside edge.

Harris was then given a second life which Durham would come to rue as Ollie Robinson dropped him on 22 after he nicked a Raine delivery. However, at the other end, Jennings’ luck ran out as he chopped on to his stumps at the hands of Aldridge for 44.

After lunch, former Durham man Michael Jones (10) departed after edging a Conners delivery to third slip. But the ever-reliable Harris remained and he passed 50 for the third time this season.

Matty Hurst joined Harris and consolidated for Lancashire in the afternoon, with the former looking to keep the scoreboard ticking over, hitting the first six of the match, and Harris continued to accumulate.

A fifth wicket then came for the hosts as Hurst’s handy knock came to an end on 32 after Raine got him LBW. Conners very nearly had a third, as Arav Shetty feathered one down the legside, but a juggling Robinson couldn’t cling on.

Raine then struck with the final ball before tea as Shetty (18) was caught behind. Harris and Paul Coughlin, coming up against his former employers, resumed after tea and they took Lancashire into bonus-point territory.

Harris then reached his century with a single on the legside and was leading his side to a competitive total along with Coughlin (31).

Durham turned to the second new ball to bring them a wicket and it did as Raine sent Coughlin’s stumps flying. However, Lancashire then passed 300, picking up a second bonus point, as Tom Bailey looked to be the latest to support Harris.

The tailender held firm, as Harris accumulated more runs and Lancashire managed to tick up their third bonus point as they safely negotiated the final overs of the day with ths unbroken eighth wicket partnership worth 64.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.