Durham v Worcestershire (day one, lunch) (From Durham Times)

Durham v Worcestershire (day one, lunch)

1:12pm Tuesday 21st August 2012 in Sport By Tim Wellock

IT took Durham only ten overs to have Worcestershire on the rack at 26 for five after Paul Collingwood won the toss for the first time in five games.

The bottom-of-the-table visitors had no answer to superb bowling from Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth, although No 3 batsman Matt Pardoe showed it was possible to survive with a little application.

He and 21-year-old all-rounder Joe Leach added 26 for the sixth wicket, finding life a little easier against Callum Thorp and Ben Stokes. But both departed to leave Worcestershire on 85 for seven at lunch.

Mark Wood, who took Stokes’ place at Trent Bridge, was obliged to stand down, despite his match-winning heroics. Considering that he can also bat and has a bright future, whereas Thorp is nearing the end of his career, it was a short-sighted decision.

Rushworth struck first in the second over when visiting captain Daryl Mitchell pushed forward and edged to Scott Borthwick at second slip.

Then Onions snared Australian Test batsman Phil Hughes with a snorter, finding extra bounce and movement away from the left-hander, who edged to Stokes at third slip.

Another left-hander, Moeen Ali, was aiming to leg when a modicum of swing from Onions pinned him lbw.

That made it 25 for three and in the next over Rushworth rattled the timber twice in three balls. Vikram Solanki played forward defensively and had his off bail removed then Neil Pinner lost his middle stump to a yorker.

Thorp had Leach lbw for 11 and after making 36 Pardoe appeared to be beaten for a pace by a yorker-length ball from Stokes, who also gained an lbw verdict.