Loan signing Ball takes five-for against Worcestershire

Jake Ball took 15 wickets in six Championship games for Somerset in 2024

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Visit Worcestershire New Road (day one)

Worcestershire 162: Nicholls 42; Ball 5-47

Durham 55-4: McKinney 24; Waite 2-3

Worcestershire 1 pt, Durham 3 pts

Match scorecard

Somerset loanee Jake Ball took five wickets on his Durham debut to help his new team take the early honours in their County Championship match at New Road.

But Worcestershire struck back before the close on a day when 14 wickets fell in the Division One clash.

Ball took 5-47 as the Pears were dismissed for 162, thereby failing to collect a batting bonus point for the fourth successive match this season.

However, having seen their bowlers make the most of winning the toss on a helpful pitch, Durham's batsmen encountered their own problems in the evening session and the day ended with the visitors on 55-4 and the match evenly poised.

The morning began poorly for Worcestershire, who slumped to 22-3 inside the first hour. Ball marked the beginning of his two-week loan spell by taking all the wickets in 12 deliveries, each of his victims being caught behind by Ollie Robinson.

Gareth Roderick perished for four when cutting, Jake Libby feathered an attempted forward defensive stroke on nine and Rob Jones nicked a drive when on only three.

Matters could have been even worse for Worcestershire had Henry Nicholls' edge off Ball not evaded George Drissell's grasp at third slip when the New Zealander had made seven.

As it was, Nicholls and Adam Hose took their side to 75-3 at lunch, only for Hose to be lbw on the front foot to Ben Raine for 23 following the resumption.

Worcestershire's woes continued when another debutant, Codi Yusuf, who will play for Durham until early July, brought one back off the seam to have Nicholls lbw for 42.

Matthew Waite then meekly steered a wide delivery from the same bowler to the Lancashire loanee, Jack Blatherwick, at backward point and departed for eight.

That left the home side on 116-6x just after the midpoint of the day's play and D'Oliveira followed his colleagues to the pavilion half an hour later when he was leg before wicket to Raine for 28.

Hopes of a recovery were further dented on the point of tea when Drissell had Tom Taylor lbw for nought with a sharply turning off-break.

Ball was switched to the Diglis End immediately after tea and had Ethan Brookes caught at long leg by Blatherwick for 23 before he completed his fine return when Jake Duffy nicked him to Drissell at slip.

Durham's reply began poorly when Alex Lees chopped on to Jacob Duffy for nought in the third over of the innings and having stroked four lovely boundaries, Ben McKinney was well caught low down at first slip by Hose off Taylor for 24.

The visitors' problems increased when Colin Ackermann was bowled by Matthew Waite's second delivery of the innings for five.

Ollie Robinson was leg before wicket to Waite for a 17-ball duck, but having ridden his luck, Will Rhodes was 17 not out at the close and nightwatchman Blatherwick was unbeaten on two

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Durham pace bowler Jake Ball:

"That couldn't have gone much better for me. I was down in Somerset struggling to get a game and I snapped up the opportunity to play for Durham.

"I just wanted to get out there and it was nice to confirm the fact that I was bowling quite well.

"I think this has been a happy hunting ground for me. It's a good pitch to bowl on, there's a bit of nip but you've still got to put the ball in the right area.

"I've never been out on loan before but you want to respect everything that these guys are doing. You want to play for the badge and make sure you give 110% and that's what I did today to get the wickets."

Worcestershire batter Henry Nicholls:

"That was certainly a competitive day of cricket. There were challenging conditions at times and both sets of bowlers bowled really well to put the batters under pressure.

"It was nice that we were able to bowl well in the evening session and with Durham being four down in the morning, it puts us in a good position.

"There's a bit of lateral movement and when guys put it in the right area, you can see what can happen with 14 wickets going in the day.

The pitch was on the slow side, so it makes you feel a little more comfortable to bat for a while and it was good to put a partnership together with Adam. But I think it's a going to be a tight match of small margins and every run is going to be crucial."