Harmison's absence hampers title chase

Aug 16 2007 By Luke Edwards, The Journal

HAVING recovered from a hernia operation with surprising speed, Steve Harmison will tragically miss Durham’s Friends Provident Trophy Final against Hampshire on Saturday after the England bowler picked up a back injury against Surrey.

Harmison shocked many observers by returning to action in just over three weeks following surgery, but his determined effort was in vain and the Ashington Express will be forced to watch from the balcony as his team-mates attempt to win the county’s first trophy.

The verdict inside the dressing room at the close of play yesterday was that the fast bowler had a 50-50 chance of making Durham’s first final at Lord’s, but coach Geoff Cook will now have to plan without his star bowler after a specialist revealed the extent of the problem last night.

Cook had promised to make an “honest decision in the best interests of the team” regarding Harmison’s fitness, but medical advice took that decision out of his hands and there is a chance the fast bowler will not play again for the county this season, although the 28-year-old has vowed to do everything he can to return to aid Durham’s Championship challenge.

Nevertheless, Harmison’s latest injury breakdown will be a major hindrance to Durham’s attempt to secure a Liverpool Victoria County Championship victory against Surrey today as captain Dale Benkenstein will be a bowler short as they try to take ten wickets on the final day.

The visitors are already too far adrift – 374 runs – to push for victory, but they will be hopeful of keeping Durham’s bowlers at bay in the absence of Harmison, as Ottis Gibson and Liam Plunkett will have to take on far more work than usual.

Durham initially made slow progress with the bat yesterday after rain delayed the start of play and then forced the players off for almost an hour in the afternoon.

The top order struggled to establish a rhythm, a fact highlighted by the mistimed pulls which led to the dismissals of both Michael Di Venuto and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, although Gibson and Ben Harmison’s swashbuckling seventh-wicket stand has still put the match out of the opposition’s reach. Di Venuto had been the pick of Durham’s players, however having reached 77 he should have dispatched a short ball from Chris Jordan to the boundary, but instead sent it to Scott Newman at mid-on.

It was the Australian’s second half-century of the game, but he will be annoyed at failing to convert either into centuries.

Chanderpaul fell in identical fashion, once again appearing to misjudge the pace of Jordan’s short ball as he tried to smash it to the boundary and Newman took another regulation catch.

A heavy downpour did not help Durham’s progress and Dale Benkenstein was only able to add four to his score after the restart when he was caught and bowled by Harbhajan Singh.

Wicketkeeper Phil Mustard did speed up the scoring and had reached 44 when he was also undone by the spin of Harbhajan Singh.

Nevertheless, Durham’s lead was steadily increasing and when Gibson joined Harmison junior, the West Indian’s big hitting – he brought up his half-century with a straight six back over the head of Harbhajan Singh – appeared to demoralise Surrey’s bowlers in the late evening sunshine.

While Gibson – who fell to Matthew Nicholson late on – has been superb with the ball all season, his batting at number eight has consistently been a valuable source of runs and his 83-run partnership with Harmison means Durham’s depleted bowling attack will head into the final day with another Championship victory on their minds.

Meanwhile, Durham have sent Mark Davies on loan to Nottinghamshire for one month so that the Teessider can get some first-class matches under his belt.

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Scoreboard

DURHAM v SURREY

At: Riverside

Overnight: Surrey 183 (M R Ramprakash 62; O D Gibson 4-50). Durham 232 (S Chanderpaul 81, M J Di Venuto 56) and 73-0.

Durham Second Innings Close

M D Stoneman c Walters b Nicholson28

M J Di Venuto c Newman b Jordan77

K J Coetzer c Batty b Nicholson19

S Chanderpaul c Newman b Jordan29

D M Benkenstein c & b Harbhajan Singh23

P Mustard b Harbhajan Singh44

B W Harmison not out 28

O D Gibson c Batty b Nicholson55

L E Plunkett not out 1

Extras (b6 lb8 w1 nb6 pens 0)21

Total (7 wkts (95 overs))325

Fall: 1-80 2-106 3-161 4-168 5-226 6-241 7-324

To Bat: P J Wiseman, S J Harmison.

Bonus Pts: Durham 4 Surrey 3

Bowling: Nicholson 23 4 79 3; Nicholson 23 4 79 3; Ormond 14 4 52 0; Jordan 18 2 69 2; Walters 1 0 7 0; Harbhajan Singh 39 9 104 2.