Matthew Potts makes his England case as Durham shut in on Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire 255 for 9 (Charlesworth 71, Harris 52, Patel 5-93, Potts 2-35) and 181 for six (Harris 71*) want one other 244 runs to beat Durham 445 (Clark 100, de Leede 65, Coughlin 59*, Borthwick 53) and 272 for 4 dec (Jones 121*)

On a day when Sussex paceman Ollie Robinson joined Joffra Archer and Jimmy Anderson on the remedy desk, Potts claimed 2 for 21 in a formidable five-over burst with the brand new ball to difficulty a well timed reminder to the England selectors.

Potts then went to work, eradicating left-handers Chris Dent and Ben Charlesworth with successive deliveries within the third over to begin a slide which noticed Gloucestershire subside to 58 for 4. Although Marcus Harris proved stubborn in registering 71 not out to see the house aspect via to 181 for six on the shut, they nonetheless path by 244 and, with the climate set honest for the ultimate day, the overwhelming chances are Durham will full a fourth victory in six outings to cement their place on the prime of the Second Division.

Given that Archer has already been dominated out of rivalry for the rest of the summer time and Anderson continues to agonize by a groin pressure, news that Robinson had sustained an ankle harm and been unable to take the sphere for Sussex in opposition to Glamorgan at Hove after lunch, served to additional propel the 24-year-old Sunderland-born paceman again into the worldwide reckoning.

With England’s first-choice seamers dropping like flies, alternative may but come knocking for Potts, who has now claimed 28 wickets in 5 red-ball outings since early April. Certainly, he was an excessive amount of for Dent and Charlesworth, the previous caught behind and the opposite wafting outdoors off stump and nicking to 3rd slip as Gloucestershire made the worst potential begin to their second innings.

Miles Hammond survived the hat-trick ball, however didn’t final for much longer, nicking Ben Raine to first slip, whereas Jack Taylor was lured onto the entrance foot by Ajaz Patel and stumped for a first-ball duck as the house aspect slipped to 58 for 4.

Eager to press his claims for inclusion within the Australia workforce to face India within the ICC World Test Championship closing at The Oval subsequent month, Harris held up Durham’s victory cost along with his second half century of the match, going to that landmark through 89 balls. He was eventually afforded the assist his efforts deserved when joined by Bracey, who contributed 50 from 78 balls in a fifth wicket partnership of 92.

But Gloucestershire’s stand-in captain blotted his copybook when nicking a supply from Scott Borthwick to leg slip, whereas Zafar Gohar danced down the observe to Patel and was comprehensively stumped for 11 to depart Durham on the cusp of an inside-the-distance triumph.

Potts had earlier wrapped up Gloucestershire’s first innings on 292, clear bowling Ajeet Singh Dale for 15 to complete with 3 for 43. Josh Shaw remained unbeaten on 37, smashing 3 sixes and a brace of fours to dominate a last-wicket stand of 65.

With a declaration determine already in thoughts, Durham had been understandably keen to attain shortly and Jones and Alex Lees obliged in a progressive opening stand of 119 in 27.1 overs. The decide of the Gloucestershire bowlers, Singh Dale troubled each openers in a venomous new-ball spell earlier than retiring to the pavilion with an injured knee. Jones specifically cashed in, twice carting Zafar over mid-wicket for six and meting out the identical remedy to Matt Taylor as he went to 50 from 73 balls.

Depleted Gloucestershire continued to combat onerous and debutant Zaman Akhter generated a head of steam from the Ashley Down Road End to bowl Lees for 40, whereas Zafar pinned Borthwick lbw for 2 to briefly sluggish northern progress. David Bedingham scored 29 from 26 balls in a fast stand of 56 for the third wicket earlier than coming ahead to Shaw and guiding a forefront to cowl with the rating on 178.

Unperturbed by goings-on on the different finish, Jones merely stored going, elevating three figures for the primary time this season along with his ninth 4, a lower to the sq. leg boundary on the expense of Zafar, who was struggling to exert any management. Aided and abetted by 5 sixes, Jones’ second 50 occupied simply 54 balls.

Robinson scored at a good brisker tempo, speeding to 50 through 25 balls with all however 4 of these runs coming by means of boundaries as dot balls grew to become a rarity. Without the safety of scoreboard strain, spinners Zafar and Jack Taylor suffered horribly, conceding at 6.36 and 9.25 an over respectively.

By the time Robinson overbalanced and was stumped for 67 off the bowling of Zafar, Durham had been able to spare Gloucestershire’s hard-pressed bowlers additional punishment by declaring. Robinson’s whirlwind innings comprised 36 balls and included 9 fours and three sixes, whereas Jones completed unbeaten on 121 from 148 deliveries, with 11 fours and 5 sixes. Their fourth wicket alliance yielded 94 runs in simply 10.1 overs.