Northeast hits hundred on frenetic day 2
Kent captain Sam Northeast hit his 19th first class century as 18 wickets fell on a frentic day two in the Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street.
Tailend resistance from Durham’s Mark Wood and James Weighell rescued the hosts after they recovered from 77 for seven to post 217.
Northeast played an equally beligerent role in Kent’s reply as the visitors lost a glut of five wickets after tea before the skipper shepherded the tail to within 11 runs of Durham.
England seamers past and present shone with Graham Onions’ 6/62 and Mark Wood taking 3/48.
Calum Haggett then struck twice early in Durham’s second innings to leave the match finely poised at stumps at the Emirates Riverside.
When Durham resumed on 61 for four Adam Milne initially looked unplayable. He beat Michael Richardson with the day’s first two balls and had him caught low down at first slip by Darren Stevens with the fourth.
Ryan Pringle made eight before deflecting a ball from Milne into his off bail when trying to leave it.
After 20 minutes Graham Clark had not added to his overnight six when his otherwise immaculate forward defensive was breached by a ball from Darren Stevens which trimmed his off bail.
Wood and Weighell made the Kent seamers toil as the sun shone and the ball got older with the recalled pair putting on 106 for the eighth wicket.
Ruled out by a bruised heel since the second Investec Test against South Africa in mid-July, Wood shrugged off the disappointment of being left out of England’s one-day squad to reach 50 off 64 balls.
It was his third half-century, but he was beaten to the mark by left-hander Weighell, who got there in 69 balls with a blend of bold and classy strokes which brought him nine fours.
Weighell departed for 55 when a fierce pull flew straight to mid-wicket off Mitch Claydon, who then bowled Chris Rushworth to delay lunch with the score on 195 for nine.
A few lusty blows took Wood past his career-best 66 and he was on 72 when Graham Onions became Claydon’s fifth victim and Durham were all out for 217.
Going in at 14 for two, Northeast sped to 50 off 45 balls after starting with a four through the slips when trying to withdraw his bat before gaining compuse and control as the rest of the Durham bowlers failed to support Onions.
He had Sean Dickson lbw for seven then produced a snorter to defeat Joe Denly’s forward defensive push and take out the off stump.
Daniel Bell-Drummond grafted hard for his 26 before miscuing a pull off Mark Wood to mid-on.
Northeast and 19-year-old Zak Crawley (26) added 56 in 45 balls until the youngster’s departure, LBW to Wood, after the tea interval sparking a middle-order wobble.
Stevens nicked the next ball from the England paceman behind before Haggett was bowled by Onions at the other end three overs later.
Adam Milne was caught behind before Sam Billings, in at 9 due to a migraine, departed next ball with Onions bowling the advancing batsman.
Mitch Claydon cracked three fours in a cameo of 16 before Northeast manoeuvred the strike on his way to three figures and a precious batting bonus point.
The 27-year-old fell on 110 to Weighell with Kent 11 runs short.
In the second innings, openers Keaton Jennings and Tom Latham played patiently before Haggett took advantage of two errors.
Jennings nicked behind to stand-in ‘keeper Bell-Drummond before Steel shouldered arms to an in-swinger.
Latham shepherded Durham to stumps without further loss with a watchful 27 off 69 balls.