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In their Vitality County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston, Warwickshire amassed the second-highest total in their history, putting Durham under severe pressure.
With a massive 698 for three declared, the home team—led by Alex Davies’ first double-century—left Durham needing 549 even to avoid the follow-on.
With Alex Lees (94 not out from 171 balls) spearheading the fight, the visitors ended the second day at 178 for three. However, there is still a great deal of work to be done to get his team out of danger.
Birmingham has become batting utopia thanks to a combination of a slow pitch, Kookaburra balls, short boundaries, and injured and unrusty bowling assaults. Warwickshire’s skipper Davies made the most of the situation, scoring his first double-century of 256 from 311 balls. Rob Yates, who sparkled with a 191 on the first day, Will Rhodes, who was unbeaten at 178 from 234 balls, and Dan Mousley, who was unbeaten at 55 from 53, also filled their boots.
After their scheduled inaugural game against Hampshire at home last week was abandoned without a ball being bowled, Durham, who was just promoted to Division One, has made a dramatic comeback. In his first-class cricket match, Callum Parkinson took two wickets for 206, the most costly analysis by a Durham bowler in history, while three of his teammates also let up more than 100 runs.
On the second morning, Warwickshire came back on 490 for one, and the team used the morning to exploit a resigned-looking Durham assault that was missing Scott Boland. The Australian overseas signee bowled 13 overs on the opening day but left the pitch for treatment due to a heel ailment, presumably to avoid having to endure more punishment in such harsh conditions.
Former Lancashire opener Davies proceeded relentlessly forward, so it came as a shock when, in 445 minutes at the crease, he was bowled by Parkinson after being hit for 28 fours and three sixes.
Before off-spinner Yates, who was given his longest spell in first class cricket to date, had Bedingham (49, 70) caught at short mid-wicket, Lees and David Bedingham buckled down to put on 94 in 25 overs. Even though Lees finished the day with 9,998 first-class runs and finished the final 16 overs of the day with Ollie Robinson, Durham is still just in the lower reaches of the mountain they must climb.