Worcestershire are celebrating their first win of the season in the Vitality County Championship after a magnificent batting performance earned them a six wicket win over Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside.
Worcestershire were set a 231 target in still bowler-friendly conditions and openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby gave them the ideal start with a stand of 56.
But it was a superb fourth wicket stand of 129 between Kashif Ali and Adam Hose which ensured victory.
The duo played some excellent strokes but also took the sting out of the Durham attack after a mini collapse when three wickets fell for nine runs.
Hose followed his 64 against Surrey by making exactly 50 and looked full of confidence and played some delightful shots.
Kashif again showed great composure with his second half century of the game – a splendid achievement given the conditions.
Ethan Brookes then joined Kashif to see Worcestershire over the finishing line shortly before five o’clock on the third day.
It was a massive confidence boost for Worcestershire to clock up that first red ball success since being promoted from Division Two along with Durham last September.
But, although the batters took the glory today, they will be the first to recognise the efforts of the bowlers in keeping them in the game after being bowled out for 112 in the first innings.
Nathan Smith had another match to remember with an eight wicket haul to take his wicket tally for the season to 27.
But the efforts of Tom Taylor and on loan Ben Allison (five apiece) and Matthew Waite (two) also played a full part in helping to secure 19 points.
Durham resumed on 148-9 and Worcestershire required just 17 balls this morning to wrap up the innings.
Ben Allison picked up his second wicket when Bas de Leede aimed a drive and was caught at second slip by Rob Jones.
Allison finished with figures of 11.1-2-30-2 with Nathan Smith (16-4-52-4) and Tom Taylor (16-3-48-4) the other wicket-takers.
When Worcestershire batted, they were given a confident start by Jake Libby and Gareth Roderick.
Roderick got off the mark by clipping Ben Raine off his legs and Libby repeated the shot at Matthew Potts expense.
Roderick steered Raine off his legs to the third man boundary and straight drove Potts to the ropes.
The first wicket pair played with positive intent and looked to score at every opportunity.
The 50 came up in the 13th over with keeper-batter Roderick’s fifth boundary.
He moved onto 38 before he tried to hook a short ball from Ben Stokes and gloved to the keeper with 56 on the board.
Libby (19) was dismissed four runs later when he tried to pull Siddle and was caught at mid wicket.
It became 65-3 when Jones (1) pushed forward to a fine delivery from Stokes and lost his off stump.
Adam Hose got off the mark with a delightful cover drive at Stokes expense to the boundary and he and Kashif Ali flourished during the afternoon session.
Potts was driven by Kashif for four and he was not afraid to take on the short ball from Stokes and pulled for another boundary.
Hose showed a delightful deft touch in dabbing Stokes behind backward point for four.
The 100 partnership came up in 132 balls and then Kashif and Hose completed their individual half centuries off 77 and 86 deliveries respectively.
Hose was eventually caught behind off Raine but Kashif had moved onto 64 by tea when just 23 were needed for victory.
But Brookes came to the crease and a straight drive for four off Siddle sealed a memorable victory and Durham’s first home Championship setback for 801 days.
Worcestershire Head Coach Alan Richardson said: “It’s been a struggle of a year really, we knew we had to play some good sides and play some really good cricket.
“When you’ve gone so long without winning, you doubt yourselves a little but I’m immensely proud of the boys and how they’ve fought their way through over the last couple of days.
“The score felt like a lot but full credit to the boys they stuck at it, captain Jake Libby asked them to have as much belief as possible and we showed real courage through that second innings.
“I thought with the ball we were fantastic to restrict Durham and gave ourselves a chance. All we needed was a sniff really and knew if we’d put a couple of good partnerships together we’d get somewhere close.
“Kash has been fantastic for us since he’s joined us. Primarily his strength has been white ball cricket but he has worked incredibly hard on his red ball game.
“He started the season with back-to-back hundreds against Warwickshire, which was unfortunate as we only drew that game but this game to get two fifties on this pitch and against this attack is an amazing effort in a winning cause.
“This morning we asked for a couple of big partnerships and a couple of players to stick their hand up and be there at the end and Kash did that, ably supported by Adam (Hose).”
