Paul Collingwood has added blond highlights to disguise his greying-red mop, but the “bit of ginger” he said he used to bring to England remained in gritty evidence during a first County Championship hundred for two years that set Nottinghamshire a record fourth-innings chase at the ground.
With Collingwood lengthening his short backlift and marshalling Chris Rushworth and Peter Chase against some mixed bowling, Durham managed to delay lunch as they added 105 for the last two wickets. The Durham captain hit ten fours in his century. Even a target of 300 is historically challenging here; it took a precocious unbeaten 182 by Joe Root for Yorkshire to reach what is at present the highest winning score, of 339, last season. And, for Nottinghamshire, the 375 required seemed a distant dream as they slipped to 66 for three.
Conditions, though, were the best for batting yesterday, the pastel-blue sky providing a healthy backdrop to one of the prettiest vistas in county cricket across the Lumley End. Spectators wore short sleeves late on as Riki Wessels led the recovery.
Earlier, Steven Mullaney did not look happy at his leg-before decision, but James Taylor could only blame himself for shouldering arms as Paul Coughlin nipped one back. Samit Patel then pushed a return catch which John Hastings accepted. Rushworth beat or took the edge of Michael Lumb’s bat countless times, but Lumb hung in before succumbing to a brilliant one-handed catch at gully by Calum MacLeod. This was Chase’s first wicket for Durham and he could take 999 more without being as indebted to a fielder again.
Defeat inside three days was a possibility for Nottinghamshire, but Wessels drove nicely and James Franklin remained steadfast under the short ball as they took their fifth-wicket stand to 76 by the close.