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Smith Steadies Warwickshire Against Durham in County Championship
Smith steadies Warwickshire against Durham with a fighting knock on Day 2 of the County Championship Division One at Banks Homes Riverside. The young wicketkeeper-batsman scored 79 runs to keep Warwickshire’s hopes alive in a tough battle against a strong Durham bowling attack.
Durham posted a solid first-innings score of 387 runs. Their innings was powered by Ben McKinney’s brilliant 153 and a useful 70 from Matthew Potts. Meanwhile, spinner Taz Ali was the pick of the bowlers for Warwickshire, finishing with figures of 4-66.
Durham’s Bowlers Put Pressure on Warwickshire
However, Smith steadies Warwickshire against Durham with a determined effort after the visitors were struggling at 157-6. The Durham bowling attack, led by Daniel Hogg (3-60) and Brendan Doggett, had Warwickshire in big trouble.
Warwickshire’s openers Alex Davies and Rob Yates made a steady start. But wickets kept falling regularly. Hogg bowled a beauty to dismiss Hamza Shaikh for a duck just before lunch. After that, Sam Hain and Ed Barnard also fell cheaply, leaving the visitors in deep trouble.
Smith and Booth Fight Back for Warwickshire
Young Smith showed great maturity. He stitched a 115-run partnership with Michael Booth, who remained unbeaten on 50. Smith hit some fine boundaries and reached his fifty from 86 balls. However, just before stumps, he fell for 79, caught at third man off Hogg’s bowling.
Booth’s gritty half-century in the final over of the day ensured Warwickshire closed on 287-8, trailing Durham by 100 runs with two wickets in hand.
Match Summary
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Durham 387 all out (McKinney 153, Potts 70; Ali 4-66)
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Warwickshire 287-8 (Smith 79, Booth 50*; Hogg 3-60)
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Warwickshire trail by 100 runs with 2 wickets remaining.
This exciting clash shows how County Championship matches can swing in both directions.
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