By Geoffrey Dean at Worcester
First day of four: Worcs 310 v Durham
LYING 13th and 14th in the championship respectively, Worcestershire and Durham engaged themselves in a hard-fought day's play, aware that the victors could finish 11th. Whatever the result, Durham are certain to improve on their previous highest of 16th.
Durham's bowling was generally tight on a decent pitch only a sand-iron from the pavilion. Steve Harmison impressed with good pace and control, finding Ryan Driver's edge to give David Boon the first of three noteworthy catches at second slip. Graeme Hick, after some careful reconnaissance, was defeated by Harmison's bounce, top-edging a hook to long leg where Martin Saggers caught him right under the horse chestnuts.
Saggers, playing his last match for Durham who are releasing him, bowled decently, wobbling the ball around. His only first-class victim this season prior to this match was Alec Stewart, and he added three yesterday. They included Steve Rhodes, one of two batsmen to make pugnacious 72s. Gavin Haynes was the other, taking only 103 balls.
Day 2: So near yet again for Roseberry
By Geoffrey Dean at Worcester
Second day of four: Durham (248-4) trail Worcs (310) by 62 runs
IN HIS Middlesex days, Micky Roseberry used to make hundreds for a pastime - 18 in nine seasons at Lord's. No one would have dreamt that after four years at Durham, he would still be seeking a maiden championship century for his native county.
You had to feel for him yesterday when, as at Derby last month when he made 97, he got so close with 87 in nearly four hours.
Roseberry's determination to reach three figures was plain as he crept to his fifty from 138 balls. That minor landmark achieved, he shed some of his inhibitions, clubbing Vikram Solanki's off-spin for three sixes over midwicket. But as he inched his way towards a hundred, Roseberry was bowled by Alamgir Sheriyar when he came round the wicket.
Roseberry and Jimmy Daley's gritty third-wicket stand of 128 in 55 overs set the tone for an attritional day on which David Boon passed 1,000 first-class runs for the second successive season.
Day 3:
At Worcester, Durham looked set to improve their lowly position by making damaging inroads into Worcestershire's second innings. Having taken a 32-run lead yesterday morning, overcoming the early threat posed by Vikram Solanki's off-spin on Friday, Durham reduced Worcestershire to 170 for six, Saggers again continuing to impress with the wickets of Solanki and Steve Rhodes, and Steve Harmison neutralising the threat of Hick.