Durham enjoyed a productive second day versus Surrey in the Second XI Championship fixture at LSE, New Malden, making inroads with the bat as Will Rhodes and Colin Ackermann struck centuries.
The visitors batted patiently against the Three Feathers’ disciplined effort with the ball, reaching 277/4, trailing by 51 runs, by the time bad light stopped play for a second day running.
Resuming on 287/5, Surrey could only add 41 runs to their overnight score to finish on 328, as Yousef Majid crossed a well-composed half-century before seamer Z Mawdsley single-handedly wrapped up Surrey’s tail to pick up 4/54.
Surrey’s seamers made good use of the new ball and collected two early wickets, with James Taylor getting James Minto caught at second slip by Will Tripcony for six and Seb Stuart-Reckling striking opposition skipper George Drissell’s front pad with an inswinger to have him lbw for 10.
At 18/2, Durham’s duo of experienced professionals, Rhodes and Ackermann, joined up in the middle, and displayed their high-class in a 200-run partnership for the third wicket.
Surrey’s unit stuck to their task, but Rhodes and Ackermann (103*) saw off the testing bowling and steadily accumulated runs in a stand that lasted for 337 balls, and was broken when Rhodes took on Alex Chambers’ arm from deep and was short of his crease for a fine 115.
The hosts picked up another wicket soon after as George McLoughlin, who bowled with great heart throughout the day, got L Symington to feather one through to the diving Josh Blake for eight.
H Mustard came to the middle for Durham and saw Ackermann flick Tommy Ealham to deep midwicket for a couple to bring up a well-deserved hundred.
Shortly after, the umpires took the players off the field due to bad light, with the visitors closing on 277/4, leaving Surrey with work to do on the third morning but with the match still finely poised for an intriguing day three.
