Bedingham bats Durham towards draw with Hampshire
David Bedingham also scored a century in Durham's County Championship match with Essex last month
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division One, Utilita Bowl (day three)
Hampshire 503: Orr 126, Prest 102; Parkinson 4-176
Durham 410-8: Bedingham 144, Lees 71; Dawson 5-171
Durham (3 pts) trail Hampshire (5 pts) by 93 runs
David Bedingham cruised to his second County Championship century of the season on the third day against Hampshire.
Durham batter Bedingham has 490 runs so far this season – sitting just behind Alex Davies, Joe Clarke and Daniel Bell-Drummond – and boasts an average of 81.66 after a serene 144 against Hampshire.
Liam Dawson got through the most overs he had bowled in an innings – 62 so far – and was rewarded with his 11th five-wicket haul.
Hampshire still lead by 93 runs as Durham totted up 410-8 in response to 503 and, unless something remarkable happens, this fixture is heading for a third successive Utilita Bowl draw.
This was Bedingham’s 14th century for Durham, across all formats, but with the placid nature of the pitch, this must rate as one of the easiest to reach.
Bedingham forged partnerships with whoever fancied sticking around. Alex Lees had added 97 with him on day two. Nightwatcher Matthew Potts bit into an hour and a half of day three, putting on 70 runs with Bedingham.
Potts, who scored an unbeaten 149 in a similar role earlier in the season, did not look out of place batting at number five, scoring 34 before he chipped Dawson to midwicket.
Ollie Robinson had his record of scoring a half-century in every innings this season ended two overs later when Dawson bowled him with a beauty that spun across the right-handed batter and kissed his off-stump.
Graham Clark joined up with Bedingham to ease Durham away from any worries of failing to avoid the follow-on – becoming the first pair to a century stand.
Bedingham moved to a 193-ball century but the only true negative of his innings was pushing Clark through for a single, only for James Fuller to hit directly from fine leg to end the 111-run stand.
Brydon Carse was caught at point on 18 to hand Dawson his fifth wicket before Felix Organ finally saw off Bedingham.
Ben Raine and Callum Parkinson continued to the close – with only 264 runs scored on a quiet day.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.
