Bedingham hits Durham century but Lancs in control
Vitality County Championship Division One, Stanley Park, Blackpool (day two)
Lancashire 357: Jennings 115, Bruce 46, Mahmood 46; Raine 3-67, Potts 3-100 & 91-2
Durham 236: Bedingham 101; Aspinwall 5-41, Lyon 4-59
Lancashire (6 pts) lead Durham (3 pts) by 212 runs with 8 wickets remaining
David Bedingham scored a second consecutive century for Durham and Lancashire all-rounder Tom Aspinwall took five wickets to help bowl the visitors out for 236 in their County Championship match at Blackpool.
Chasing the hosts’ first-innings total of 357, Bedingham backed up his 144 against Hampshire last week with a vital 101 to counter the efforts of Nathan Lyon, who finished with 4-59 while Aspinwall twice broke important Durham partnerships on his way to impressive figures of 5-41.
Lancashire were 91-2 in their second innings by the close, with Keaton Jennings 38 not out and nightwatch Will Williams yet to get off the mark having extended their advantage to 212 runs with two days left to play.
At the start of the day, the hosts could only add seven runs to their overnight score, with Saqib Mahmood the last batter out for 46 in their total of 357.
Alex Lees made a positive start in Durham’s reply with three driven fours before two wickets in two balls dented things after the opening pair had made 34.
Lees edged behind off George Balderson for 24 while Scott Borthwick was smartly caught at slip by Jennings off the very next ball bowled by Lyon.
Bedingham and Colin Ackermann then fought with great determination to steer their side through the remainder of the morning session before prospering in the afternoon, building a 94-run partnership.
A great leaping catch at first slip by Jennings broke that alliance, giving Aspinwall his maiden wicket in only his second first-class match as Ackermann departed for 44 followed quickly by Ollie Robinson.
The match-up everyone at Stanley Park was looking forward to then duly arrived at 2.15pm when Ben Stokes faced his first ball from Lyon.
Stokes pressed forward to the first seven deliveries he encountered from Lyon but played back to the eighth that found an edge which was nicely snapped up by Tom Bruce at second slip.
Lyon gave a little punch of delight as Lancashire celebrated the success which left Durham in trouble on 145-5.
Bedingham and Graham Clark countered impressively, though, with a 108-run stand that looked to be putting the visitors in striking range of matching the Lancashire total. Bedingham reached his century from 142 balls just before tea having hit two sixes and eight fours.
However, Durham lost their last five wickets for 23 runs after the break at the hands of Lyon and Aspinwall, the latter bowling Bedingham for 101 via a bottom edge two balls into the session and the former trapping Clark lbw for 24 playing back.
Aspinwall then cleaned up the tail, taking the final three wickets of Ben Raine, Matty Potts and Callum Parkinson to march off holding the match ball.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.
