Late wickets keep promotion-chasing Northants in the hunt against unbeaten Durham

Durham lost three wickets at the end of an absorbing, hard-fought third day of this Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Wantage Road to take a 188-run lead into stumps.

After skipper Alex Lees made 80, Stokes (37) and Mayank Agarwal (48) had combined in a fifth-wicket partnership of 89 in almost 24 overs as Durham started to build a sizable lead.

But with just six overs remaining, Procter returned to claim his 200th first-class wicket when he trapped Stokes lbw and then picked up Colin Ackermann first ball.

Agarwal then fell just before the close of play, Yuzi Chahal and Calvin Harrison both taking two wickets on a pitch offering prodigious turn.

In the morning, Northamptonshire secured a handy first-innings lead of 58 before they were bowled out for 263, Lewis McManus finishing unbeaten on 29. Matthew Potts claimed the final three wickets to finish with figures of four for 49, while Stokes took three for 58.

Earlier, resuming on 225 for seven after a delayed start due to rain, Northants soon lost Louis Kimber when he shouldered arms to Potts and was bowled.

McManus and Ben Sanderson, though, counterattacked, adding 36 for the ninth wicket as they earned their side a precious batting bonus point.

McManus square-drove Stokes for four while Sanderson struck a pacy full delivery from Potts down the ground, before Potts wrapped up the innings in the space of two balls.

First Sanderson hit low to Stokes at mid-off, while Chahal was done for pace and bowled.

Ben McKinney played a few lusty blows but never looked entirely settled, troubled by both the spinners and Ben Sanderson’s away movement. Lees meanwhile looked more composed, driving both Luke Procter and Chahal through the covers.

Durham had almost wiped out the deficit when McKinney misjudged the length and went back to one that spun sharply from Harrison and was bowled off the final ball before lunch.

After the interval, as Northants rotated their spinners, Durham played watchfully with Lees and Will Rhodes marking a stand of 64 in 24 overs.

Lees though did take on Chahal, driving through cover and striking him for a straight six into the upper tier of the Spencer Pavilion.

Amid a series of confident lbw appeals from Harrison, the leg-spinner instead effected the breakthrough with a sharp bit of fielding at backward point as Rhodes was run out for 27.

Dangerman David Bedingham could only add 5 to his first-innings 81 before he was trapped plumb lbw by Chahal.

The Indian international then removed Lees just before tea with one that drifted away before spinning back to hit middle stump.

Both sides went toe-to-toe after tea with neither able to dominate for the first 90 minutes. Chahal had a strong lbw shout turned down against Stokes before Agarwal pulled him through midwicket.

Stokes smashed Sanderson straight to bring up the 150 and reverse swept Chahal behind square. But for the most part, the experienced Northants bowling pair kept the Durham batters honest and were largely treated with respect in return.

Agarwal got one away through the covers off Nathan McSweeney, but the Australian found sharp turn and bounce to trouble Stokes as Northants persisted with spin.

Stokes broke the tension by reverse sweeping Harrison square for four before Procter’s double-strike.

After he trapped Stokes lbw, Ackermann was caught at slip before Agarwal was adjudged caught by George Bartlett at short-leg off Harrison, although replays suggested the ball had come off pad, not bat.

Reaction

Northants all-rounder Calvin Harrison: “It's exciting, coming into the last day with results to play for. After the first day with a bit of rain, we didn't know, after last week as well, how much cricket we might get. It looked a bit dodgy up top, but it's been nice to get out there in a good few days and set up the game nicely.

"You know, we have been nice and aggressive, attacked the game, and through some really attritional patches. It's been a wicket that's gone through different phases of how easy it is to score and tomorrow, I think will be an exciting finish.

“We rotated around a lot with the bowling. Guys came in and did what we needed to do. We put the ball in decent areas. They batted nicely in patches, and we tried to stick to really simple processes and put energy on the ball and let the wicket do the work where it could.

“That was the key really because when you bowl in good areas, it was really difficult to score. So, if we could just hold and hold and hold, and then pick up the odd wicket, or odd wicket often in quick succession which happened on a few occasions, that was sort of the key.

On what Northants will want to chase: “It's hard to say, really, on the last day. Similar thing, the first little phases of the game, the new ball will be important, how we come on Saturday morning and finish off the job.

"So that'll be just a disciplined finish in the morning, really. Get batting as quickly as possible, and then just hopefully chase whatever we need to chase.”

Durham captain Alex Lees: “I think the game's in the balance. I think it was a real hard-fought day on both ends really.

“Obviously, we were bitterly disappointed in the key moment in the game there [the Agarwal wicket]. We obviously fell on the wrong side of not a brilliant decision which probably has them slightly ahead.

“I think if we'd have come back tomorrow with Mayank and Pottsy [Matthew Potts] in, six down, we'd have probably put us just ahead of the game.

“But I think that wicket's only going to get worse. We just need to find a way to get an extra 40, 50 runs, and then if we get early wickets, I think it'll be a real good game.

“Obviously, our seam attack has got quite a bit more ball speed from there. We've seen quite a bit of variable bounce from our guys. So yeah, I think Potts has bowled brilliantly all year for us, and him and Ben [Stokes] in particular in that first innings, real standout performers from the team.

“That intensity and that Test quality of bowling, it's nice to watch. They're relentless. So, I know our bowlers will be exactly the same in the second innings. Hopefully we get a few more runs. I think anything over 200 will be a real tough chase on that wicket day four, and hopefully we can come out on top.