Durham MCCU secure draw despite Cockbain hundred
2 April 2016
Day 3 :
A second innings century for Ian Cockbain set up the chance for Gloucestershire to start their 2016 first class season with a win over Durham MCCU, only to be foiled by the visitors' last wicket pair, who survived five overs at the end of the match to secure a draw.
Cockbain's unbeaten 129 enabled Gloucestershire captain Gareth Roderick to call a halt at lunch, declaring the second innings on 249-2 and setting Durham MCCU 310 to win in two sessions.
At one stage the students were 46-4, but a gritty 64 not out from Robert Gibson, made in two and a half hours, was just enough to deprive Gloucestershire of victory.
Listen to head coach Richard Dawson's thoughts on the result here...
The match situation on the final morning suggested Gloucestershire would look to bat for one session and bowl for the final two, and create a position they could easily face again later in the summer. Bright sunshine was again soon in evidence, and before lunch it was Ian Cockbain, who had made 84 on Thursday, who showed that his time in Australia playing for East Torrens during the winter had clearly sharpened his batting following the broken wrist which deprived him of two months domestic cricket at the end of last season.
38 not out overnight, his first fifty came from 72 deliveries with eight fours, yet it was a measure of his control that without appearing to accelerate he went from 50-100 with a further seven fours and a six in only 63 balls. Cockbain scored heavily through the off side, although it was a straight six of MacDonell which pushed the Gloucestershire lead past 300 just before lunch.
Following Dent's early departure to a low catch at short extra cover, George Hankins had another chance to show what he could do at first class level, and he'll have been pleased to feel the ball hitting the middle of the bat with greater regularity before attempting to sweep spinner Dewes and walking to the pavilion with 34 against his name when skipper Clark took the catch at slip.
Benny Howell (23*) then added 74 with Cockbain up until lunch as Gloucestershire, even faced with more defensive fields set by Durham MCCU skipper Clark, were still able to pick off deliveries which erred in line or length and score at five an over.
Gareth Roderick's decision to declare at lunch left Durham MCCU the notional target of 310 in two sessions, although their real desire soon appeared to be batting out the remaining time.
With David Payne not fielding because of his injured finger, Liam Norwell and Josh Shaw shared the new ball against openers Kurtz and Clark, who had scored only 11 runs in eight overs when Kurtz misjudged a throw to the striker's end from substitute fielder Jack Taylor and was run out.
Steel, batting at number three, struck the first boundary in the 12th over off Miles, but his first spell of the innings brought two wickets, as Marshall caught Clark at short cover and Steel was snapped up by Noema-Barnett at slip.
Ed Pollock did hook Shaw past a diving Miles at long leg for six in the Yorkshireman's second spell but Benny Howell, who hadn't bowled in the first innings, then lured him forward and Roderick took the catch. Durham MCCU went from 46-4 to 64-4 by tea, by which point a draw was by no means a certainty.
The final session, with a wedding party now among the spectators, began as Gloucestershire would have wanted with MacDonell, the glue of Durham MCCU's first innings, feathering a catch to Roderick off Norwell. Gibson, who had come in just before tea, then found Jenkins was able to keep him company until after the final hour began, despite Gloucestershire skipper Roderick rotating his main seam bowlers.
It was Noema-Barnett who finally proved the standbreaker, Jenkins shouldering arms and losing his off bail. The last six Durham MCCU wickets fell in an hour in the first innings, and a similar process looked on the cards again when Phillips was caught behind, also off Noema-Barnett, and Norwell sent back Dunford without scoring.
Gibson by this time was having to control the strike, which he managed to do so as to minimise the risk to ninth wicket partner Wood. His own patience was rewaded with a half century made from 96 balls with ten boundaries, but with only five overs remaining Shaw, back for one last burst, saw Dent cling onto a catch at slip.
Number eleven Dewes then did enough to survive with Gibson to help Durham MCCU reach 148-9 at stumps.
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