Smith celebrates a new deal with ton

9:04am Friday 5th September 2008

Durham v Lancashire (LV County Championship Second Day)

DALE Benkenstein and Will Smith, captain and potential successor, repeated their Hove heroics yesterday, only for more rain to scupper Durham’s hopes of cashing in on a strong position against Lancashire.

It was at Hove just over three months ago that Smith returned to the Durham team and scored 107 in rescuing Durham from 11 for four in a stand of 205 with Benkenstein.

Yesterday they extended their partnership at Riverside to 184, 15 more than Durham’s previous record stand for any wicket against Lancashire, set by Paul Parker and Phil Bainbridge at Old Trafford in 1993.

Smith completed his third century of the season, which includes his double at Guildford, and his unbeaten 144 took his season’s championship tally to 882.

He confirmed afterwards that he is about to sign a new two-year contract, adding: “There has been some speculative interest from elsewhere, but I’d be foolish to think of leaving. I’ve seen some great things here in the last two years.

“I got a good ovation from the members when I reached my century and it’s a special one for me because it’s my first one here.”

Smith remained unruffled in the face of the usual verbals and histrionics from Dominic Cork after pulling him for two fours in one over.

“That’s the beauty of playing against him,” he said.

“He’s still a great competitor and he’s always trying to find ways of getting into your head. It can be annoying, but he’s the first to congratulate you if you do well.

“They bowled better than on the first day and showed there’s something in the pitch. So we’ve got a great base to kick on if the weather allows.”

Sadly, the forecast suggests that is unlikely and 97 overs have already been lost over the first two days.

After the start was delayed until 12.40 because of a wet outfield, Durham added 138 runs in 55 overs to reach 280 for three. The rain arrived at 3.55, then play resumed at 5.30 with only nine overs to be bowled.

It is Sod’s Law that when the groundstaff have taken advantage of last week’s dry spell to prepare such a good pitch, there is little chance of a result.

The fourth wicket pair were unable to press on yesterday against improved bowling.

Glen Chapple, well below his best on Wednesday, found more movement and was unlucky not to have Benkenstein lbw with an in-swinger before the batsman had added to his overnight 21.

He then cut Chapple for four, but added only four more runs in the first 50 minutes as he battled to recover his form and ensure he survived against some testing bowling.

Smith was more fluent, but was troubled by Oliver Newby, who came on after Cork had a spell at both ends.

Newby began in the same vein as the previous day by bowling at least one bad ball an over. But he suddenly bowled an excellent over in which he cut one back and almost bowled Smith on 84.

He had an even closer shave on 95, when an inside edge off Newby flew over the stumps and just eluded wicketkeeper Luke Sutton on the way to the boundary.

Lancashire then turned to the leg spin of Francois Du Plessis, who beat Smith on 99 before the batsman paddled him to long leg for a single to reach his century off 217 balls, with 17 fours.

A similar stroke by Benkenstein took him to 50 off 137 balls, one of his more painstaking efforts being justified by his search for form going into the decisive phase of the season.

The captain began by passing 50 in four of his first five championship innings, culminating in his 110 at Hove. But there have been only two halfcenturies since, the last one coming at home to Somerset in mid-July.

The new ball was taken two balls after tea and with Chapple swinging it both ways Smith had an escape on 117 when he edged at waist height to Paul Horton’s right at first slip. The fielder barely laid a finger on the ball as it sped away for four.

SCOREBOARD

Durham v Lancashire At Riverside

Lancashire Won Toss

Overnight: Durham 142-3 (W R Smith 59 no)

Durham First Innings Close

W R Smith not out ..................................144

D M Benkenstein not out .......................61

Extras (b6 lb12 nb8 pens 0) ........26

Total 3 wkts (95 overs).................280

Fall: 1-23 2-92 3-96

To Bat: B W Harmison, P Mustard, P J Wiseman, L E Plunkett, C D Thorp, M Davies.

Bowling: Chapple 28-6-76-0. Cork 20-8-59- 0. Smith 19-7-29-1. Newby 15-2-59-0. Croft 6-1-21-0. du Plessis 7-1-18-0.