Cricket: Benk Tykes great delight in victory

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), July 2, 2008

Byline: By EFF BOWRON

DURHAM skipper Dale Benkenstein hailed the super win over archrivals Yorkshire which puts the Riversiders in a strong position in the LV County Championship's First Division.

After they hammered the Tykes by 295 runs at Chester-le- Street, Durham completed the most emphatic of doubles by claiming an eight-wicket success inside three days at Headingley.

It was Durham's third win from their last four Championship outings - and they would have been outright leaders had they not come up short by just four runs against Hampshire.

The Riversiders are nevertheless well placed on the same points as previous leaders Yorkshire, having played fewer games than any other top-flight side.

Benkenstein said: "It was a very good win on a Headingley pitch where there was always a bit in it for the bowlers with the extra bit of bounce.

"The record-breaking partnership between Liam Plunkett and Phil Mustard when we were struggling a bit in our first innings was crucial.

"It gave us a big first-innings lead and, while Michael Vaughan and Adam Lyth threatened a comeback, we hit back well to bowl Yorkshire out for 273.

"Steve Harmison did the early damage to remove both Vaughan and Lyth, and on another day he could easily have finished with five or six wickets.

"We have the firepower to pick up wickets, which is what wins you matches, and Callum Thorp again showed what an effective bowler he is with his five-wicket haul."

Thorp picked up two first innings wickets in a tight spell and then claimed an excellent 5-71 in the second to give him 20 wickets from his three Championship outings this summer.

Only Harmison, who has played in all six Championship games - with 29 victims - has taken more wickets than the experienced Australian.

Benkenstein added: "Harmy and Thorp are a good combination with the new ball.

"Harmy has the pace, while Thorp uses his skill to good effect and has done really well.

"It is always good to beat Yorkshire in their own back yard and, while we slipped to 8-2 chasing just over 100 to win, we only needed one significant partnership to see us home.

"Michael Di Venuto and Paul Collingwood did just that, but we had so much experience in the top six we were always calm and confident we would finish the job."

The pair's unbroken stand of 105 saw Durham cruise home, with Di Venuto hitting 13 boundaries in an unbeaten 65 and Collingwood eight fours in his 44.

Matthew Hoggard had earlier taken the wickets of Ben Harmison and Will Smith in his second over, but Durham were in no mood to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Earlier in the day, Steve Harmison ended a third-wicket partnership of 138 when Lyth edged to Mustard for a top-scoring 80 - and then the Ashington Express rearranged Vaughan's stumps after the England captain had made 72.

Thorp, who had taken two early wickets the previous day, then took three more with Plunkett also taking three wickets as the Tykes' last seven wickets produced just 122 runs.

Durham will now switch their focus back to one-day cricket, where glory beckons with two huge home games inside four days.

Kent Spitfires are first up in the Friends Provident Trophy semi-final on Friday (12.05), followed by Yorkshire again in the quarter-final of the Twenty20 Cup on Monday, which begins at the earlier-than-normal time of 5.10.

CAPTION(S):

VITAL WICKET: For Steve Harmison