Anchorman Sayers stakes claim for recall by Yorkshire

JOE SAYERS did his hopes of a return to the first-team no harm with a century on the second day of Yorkshire’s three-day friendly at Durham University.

Sayers – dropped after the opening County Championship match of the season at Worcestershire – scored 139 at the Racecourse Ground to help put Yorkshire in a commanding position.

Sayers’s knock underpinned a first innings total of 355 as Yorkshire cruised past the students’ first innings 196.

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Gary Ballance did his own hopes of a first-team place no harm with a polished 72, while David Wainwright followed his career-best 6-40 on the opening day with the third-top score of 62.

At stumps, Durham University were 110-3 in their second innings, a deficit of 49.

Yorkshire will be confident of wrapping up victory later today in a game that is recognised as having first-class status.

After resuming on 118-0 off 30 overs, Yorkshire lost Ballance to the second ball of the day when he was caught by wicketkeeper Jamie Atkinson off Jonathan Salt.

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The Zimbabwean dominated his opening stand with Sayers, facing 118 balls and striking nine fours.

Sayers played in typically composed fashion, anchoring the innings in trademark style.

He had batted for just short of six hours when he was caught behind off Tom Westley.

Callum Geldart chipped in with a pleasant 34 that contained four boundaries, but Alex Lees and Alex Lilley were both dismissed for ducks.

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Ajmal Shahzad, batting at No 6, managed only 13 before being bowled by Nathanial Watkins, who finished with 5-88 from 29 overs.

Wainwright’s 62 was made in two hours and contained three boundaries, the left-arm spinner sharing a sixth-wicket stand of 128 with Sayers in 40 overs.

Trailing by 159, the home side got off to the worst possible start in their second innings when Chris Jones – who top-scored with 69 on the opening day – was bowled from the first ball by Shahzad.

But Luc Durandt and Greg Smith added 51 for the second wicket at five-an-over before Smith became Shahzad’s second victim, caught by 15-year-old wicketkeeper Barney Gibson.

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Durandt was leg before to Moin Ashraf for 31 with the total on 68, but Westley (28no) and Shan Masood (16no) stood firm as the students avoided further damage before stumps.

A sparkling century from Alexei Kervezee boosted Worcestershire’s hopes of their first LV= County Championship victory of the season against champions Nottinghamshire.

All-rounder Paul Franks made 82 to help the hosts push on from an overnight 291-8 to post 382 for a lead of 67. Worcester were 56-4 but Dutchman Kervezee’s unbeaten 123 helped them close on 256-5, a lead of 189.