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    Latham stays cool in the Cheltenham heat

    23 July 2018

    Durham captain Tom Latham denied Gloucestershire total domination on the scoreboard as he made an unbeaten hundred on another sweletering day at the Cheltenham Festival.

    The New Zealander batted for nearly five hours, making 120 not out and holding the Durham innings together whilst four wickets fell around him in an afternoon session. Stands of 66 with Michael Richardson and 48 unbroken with Stuart Poynter saw Durham's position improve substantially from 105-4, and they closed on 219-5 albeit with a new ball imminently due for Gloucestershire on Tuesday morning.

    Earlier in the day Gloucestershire passed 350 in the first innings of a Championship match for the first time this season, collecting four batting points before being dismissed for 362.

    Watch Chris Dent's close of play views here :

    　

    Gloucestershire began the second day with 14 overs available to pick up any additonal bonus points, and with three wickets to his name England all rounder Ben Stokes had his first five wicket haul in the Championship for nearly four years in his sights.

    Bowling with four slips, Stokes saw Craig Miles dropped at second slip by Will Smith before knocking out his off stump and in the same over Matt Taylor spooned a catch to substitute fielder Gareth Harte at backward point. Stokes took 2-12 on the day, but it wasn't enough to prevent Gloucestershire adding 47 valuable runs in the first hour, David Payne and George Drissell putting on 24 for the last wicket until Matt Salisbury had Drissell caught down the leg side by 'keeper Poynter. Stokes, who was both Durham's most threatening and economical bowler, finished with 5-52.

    Gloucestershire's time at the crease left Durham with 79 overs to bat on the day, and in the hour before lunch both Cameron Steel and skipper Latham had their uncertain moments.

    Ryan Higgins shared the new ball with Payne and squared up Steel as he was drawn forward, whilst Latham edged Matt Taylor through the slips twice in his first over. It took him until the 11th over to play an aggressive stroke, pulling Taylor through mid wicket, and whilst the crowd thought Latham might have been caught behind off Miles just before lunch, the flick was clearly off the pad.

    Durham resumed on a glorious afternoon to bat at 40-0, and the middle part of the day saw the Gloucestershire bowlers chip away at the Durham top order whilst Latham held firm.

    Miles had an early success, Steel trying to leave a delivery but not getting his bat out of the way and Roderick taking the catch. Smith soon followed, lbw pushng half forward to Miles and with Latham becalmed Gloucestershire's wickets were coming from tight bowling creating mistakes.

    Latham took an hour to find his range before driving Higgins down the ground, but at the other end colleagues came and went. Clark edged a sharp chance to slip which was missed before Matt Taylor trapped him lbw, and Kieran Noema-Barnett atoned for his error by accounting for Stokes, who played a loose shot and was caught at second slip by Chris Dent.

    Latham made only 28 in the session, but his application once he reached his half century from 117 balls with seven fours was essential to keep Durham afloat, and in the day's final phase he showed the value of his patience.

    In Michael Richardson and Stuart Poynter he found capable foils, although some of his running between the wickets with Richardson was risky enough to give Gloucestershire hopes of a run out.

    His one real moment of fortune came when, on 79, he edged a hard low chance to Roderick's left off Matt Taylor. The Gloucesteshire 'keeper got a hand on it but couldn't hold on, and thereafter Latham was determined to see out the day, reaching his hundred with a drive through extra cover off his 218th delivery. It was his 16th four, many of them punched straight or between cover and mid off, and making the most of a fast outfield.

    His partnership with Richardson was broken by Ryan Higgins - a gentle catch gratefully accepted by Benny Howell at mid-wicket - and Poynter might have gone for a duck if Miles Hammond hadn't misjudged a similar chance in the next over off Drissell.

    Durham's overnight deficit is 143 - and even with Latham still there, it's potentially enough to give Gloucestershire a useful first innings lead if they can make good use of the new ball on the third day.

    　

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