County Championship: Worcestershire defeat Durham by six wickets

Half-centuries from Kashif Ali and Adam Hose led Worcestershire to a six-wicket win against Durham, their first win of the County Championship season.

Ali (76 not out) and Hose (50) came together when the visitors were 65-3 and combined for a partnership worth 129 which took the game away from the hosts, who will be left scratching their heads after they were firmly in the ascendancy prior to lunch on day three.

Worcestershire wrapped up the Durham second innings early on for 152, Ben Allison luring Bas de Leede into an edge to slip to leave the Pears needing 231.

Openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby had the job of giving the visitors a good start and while Roderick initially struggled against Ben Raine, he punched Matthew Potts down the ground for four and followed up with a glorious cover drive in Ben Stokes’ opening over.

Libby survived an lbw appeal from Peter Siddle and Roderick nearly chopped a Stokes delivery on to his stumps.

Durham then made the breakthrough with Stokes getting Roderick for 38, as he attempted a pull but feathered it through to Ollie Robinson behind the stumps.

Libby went for 19, whipping a Siddle ball to mid-wicket to swing the momentum back to the hosts. Stokes then bowled Rob Jones for one with an absolute beauty to leave Worcestershire 65-3.

First-innings top scorer Ali and Hose then came together and took the visitors through to lunch without further loss.

The pair hit 12 from a de Leede over to reach their 50 partnership, though Ali survived an lbw shout on 33 off Siddle as the umpire thought there was an inside edge. An erratic over from Stokes went for 15 to add to Durham’s woes.

Ali reached his half-century from 77 balls, with Hose following soon after from 86.

Raine finally broke the partnership when Hose was caught behind, but the excellent Ali guided his side home in the company of Ethan Brookes with an unbroken stand of 37.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network.