In a lighthearted moment during the 2024 County Championship match between Durham and Kent, a dog ran onto the field, briefly halting play on day three of the fixture held at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, on Saturday, September 28.
The interruption occurred during the 53rd over of Durham’s first innings, bowled by Kent’s Jaskaran Singh. Durham captain Alex Lees and David Bedingham were at the crease when a dog appeared and the game stopped for some time as well.
⚠️ Dog stops play #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/xagDTnb9gu
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) September 28, 2024
A Delayed Start and Strong Durham Innings
The rain had delayed the start of the match, with the first two days being washed out due to a wet outfield. As a result, the toss took place on the third morning, with Kent skipper Jack Leaning opting to bowl first. Durham made a strong start with an 80-run opening partnership between Alex Lees and Ben McKinney.
Lees, leading from the front, played an outstanding knock, scoring 144 runs off 180 balls, including 18 boundaries. Contributions from Emilio Gay, who added 52 runs off 96 balls, and a blistering 66 off 38 balls from David Bedingham, helped Durham post a competitive total of 360 runs in 77.1 overs.
Kent’s Response and Current Standings
Kent’s bowling attack was led by Matthew Parkinson, who took an impressive 6/109. In response, Kent were 96-3 at stumps on day three, with Jack Leaning and Jaskaran Singh at the crease.
In terms of standings, Durham currently sit fifth in the 2024 County Championship Division One points table with 158 points from 13 matches. Meanwhile, Kent are struggling at the bottom of the 10-team table, having accumulated just 85 points from the same number of games.
As day three came to a close with Kent at 96-3, the match remained finely poised. Durham’s solid first innings, led by Alex Lees’ impressive century and contributions from other key batsmen, has set a challenging foundation for Kent to overcome.
With a few crucial wickets already down, the upcoming sessions will determine whether Kent can mount a comeback or if Durham will solidify their position in the County Championship standings. As the competition heats up, every run and wicket will be critical in shaping the outcome of this closely contested match.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagramfor more such updates.
