Alex Lees excelled against his former county as he and fellow centurion Emilio Gay ensured Durham dominated day two of their County Championship match against Yorkshire at the Banks Homes Riverside.
At the halfway stage of this Division One fixture, Durham have control having replied strongly to a first-innings 307 with 264-1 from 63.2 overs, before bad light curtailed the day just before 5pm.
Yorkshire had seemingly enjoyed a healthy day one as they compiled 295-8 in challenging conditions. But, in easing batting conditions, Durham pressed ahead to give themselves a great chance of ending a two-game losing streak at the start of the summer.
Lees led the way with 148 not out off 194 balls, while Gay’s unbeaten 105 off 168 represented an expert supporting role. They shared an unbroken 242 – a Durham second-wicket partnership record in first-class matches against Yorkshire.
Durham wrapped up Yorkshire’s tail in the first five overs of the day, Ben Raine and Matthew Potts striking, before captain Lees and fellow left-hander Gay united from mid-morning onwards. Thirty three overs were lost to bad light
The pair came together after George Hill removed prospective England Test opener Ben McKinney for six, caught at second slip by Adam Lyth, leaving Durham at 22-1 after six overs.
Durham’s opening partnership is one made up of two players at contrasting stages of their careers.
Even though it would be a surprise to see England return to 32-year-old Lees, who played the last of his 10 Tests in 2022, it is too early to write him off given he continues to rack up the runs.
McKinney, however, is very much England’s future.
There is increasing talk that the tall 20-year-old left-hander will make his Test debut this summer, having impressed for the Lions in Australia over the winter before making a first-innings 153 in the defeat by Warwickshire last weekend.
But this was not a day when he advanced his cause.
He got himself in a tangle against a full delivery angled in from Hill and departed early.
Like Lees and McKinney, Gay is another left-hander who has been talked about as an England possible in recent times. This was his first century for Durham since a move from Northamptonshire late last summer.
Lees was strong on both sides of the wicket but drove particularly well, while Gay was far more circumspect against a visiting attack who never got a foothold.
Hill and new-ball partner Jack White were OK, but New Zealand quick Ben Sears took time to settle on debut, bowling 12 overs at a cost of 56.
Incidentally, Sears had been the first wicket to fall on day two when he was bowled by Raine, who finished with 4-64 from 24 overs. Potts had a pulling Dom Bess caught in the deep for 66 to wrap up Yorkshire’s innings.
There was no doubt that Durham have had the better of the batting conditions. The second day was played under a much brighter sky, for example, and the life has gone out of the pitch. But Lees and Gay impressively took advantage.
Lees survived a close shave with a run out on 67 shortly after lunch, and went on to reach his century off 126 balls, by which stage Durham were 162-1.
Bad light forced an early tea with Durham 224-1, but just beforehand Lees hit four fours off a Matthew Revis over which cost 19.
Gay reached his century off 163 balls shortly after the resumption, but he only faced three more balls because of the light.
Meanwhile, Durham could be without seamer Paul Coughlin for the next two days, after he suffered an abdominal injury whilst bowling on the opening day.
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