Shropshire Star

Charlie Morris does the damage again

Worcestershire paceman Charlie Morris continued his renaissance while Jack Burnham made his first significant contribution with the bat for Durham since returning from a 12-month drugs ban on a seesaw opening day at New Road.

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Morris followed up his career best 7-45 against Leicestershire in the opening County Championship match with 6-53 as Durham were bowled out for 273 in 92 overs.

But the Worcestershire attack were held up for a lengthy period by Burnham, who missed the entire 2018 campaign through suspension after testing positive for cocaine in a third failed drugs test.

The 22-year-old has made an unspectacular return to action this summer with scores of 31,32, 0 and 5 in two Championship matches and a top score of 45 in four Royal London One-Day Cup knocks.

Here the former England Under-19 player showed glimpses of the potential evident from an early age as a Durham academy product.

He top-scored with a resolute 76 to help rescue Durham from 14-3, sharing a century stand with Durham captain Cameron Bancroft who registered his first fifty in the Championship for his adopted county after his own nine month ban, for ball-tampering, while on international duty with Australia.

Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach also had reason to be satisfied with his day’s work in his first senior appearance for 11 months after a stress fracture of the back and he showed no ill effects in finishing with 3-57 from 19 overs.

It was Leach and Morris who inflicted the early damage after Durham had elected to bat.

Alex Lees (0) dragged a drive aimed at Morris onto his stumps and then Leach had Cameron Steel (5) caught at first slip by Rikki Wessels low to his right and trapped Gareth Harte (1) lbw trying to work the ball to leg.

Bancroft and Burnham were initially circumspect as they dug in to repair the early damage.

Bancroft, in his second Championship match for the County, was particularly watchful before lunch when he scored only 22 off 87 balls.

But he gradually accelerated, lofting spinner George Rhodes for a straight six, as he and Burnham reached their half centuries off 126 and 109 balls respectively.

The pair had added 149 in 46 overs and reached their half centuries off 126 and 109 balls respectively.

But the departure of the pair and the loss of three wickets for 14 runs in the space of six overs swung the momentum back the way of Worcestershire who gave a first class debut to Josh Dell.

Bancroft (70) tried to work Josh Tongue on the legside and was lbw after hitting five fours and one six in his 164 ball knock.

In the next over Burnham (76) nicked Charlie Morris through to keeper Ben Cox after facing 140 deliveries and striking 12 boundaries.

Then Leach returned to the attack and enjoyed a third success when he bowled Liam Trevaskis (5).

Late order resistance came from Ben Raine (42) and Ned Eckersley (22) who added 60 for the eighth wicket before the second new ball brought its rewards for Morris.

Raine, Matt Salisbury (8) and Matthew Potts (20) were all pouched by Daryl Mitchell at second slip and Eckersley edged to Cox.

Chris Rushworth struck an early blow for Durham as Mitchell went leg before for a second ball duck as the home side closed on 1-1 from two overs.