MATCH REPORT: Noman Ali claims six-wicket haul against Durham
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Noman Ali finished with six wickets after capturing four on the second day of this Rothesay County Championship Division Two match as Lancashire ended on 10-0 in reply to Durham’s 493 all out.
Resuming on 355-5 following a delayed start of 45 minutes due to rain, Durham added another 138 runs with Ollie Robinson and Brydon Carse both making half centuries while Noman worked his way through the remainder of the visitors line up, taking four wickets to add to the brace he claimed yesterday.
Robinson, having reached fifty from 72 balls, was the first to fall for 58 when Noman straightening a spinning delivery that trapped the wicketkeeper-batter in front to end his 87-run partnership with Kasey Aldridge.
Aldridge soon followed, lbw for 24, after being beaten by Noman on the front foot.
And the Pakistan left-arm spinner had his third lbw of the morning to claim his 37th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, after also trapping Calum Parkinson on the front foot for 6.
Carse thumped Noman for six and built a partnership of 46 for the ninth wicket with Shafiqullah Ghafari either side of lunch until the latter was nicely stumped by Matty Hurst for 18 to give Noman his sixth wicket.
Last man Duanne Olivier pulled Mitch Stanley to Rocky Flintoff at midwicket for 5, leaving Carse, who hit three sixes, unbeaten on 58.
Keaton Jennings and Michael Jones negotiated the five overs bowled before tea and the four afterwards before bad light halted play at 4.20pm and with the light worsening, the umpires abandoned play for the day at 4.45pm.
Noman Ali was thrilled with his six-wicket performance against Durham.
“It's a very good achievement for me because after five games, I have a chance to bowl here at Old Trafford and I’m really happy to get some wickets, especially in county cricket.
“I just tried to bowl at the stumps and keep dot balls, and that's why I bowl long overs to get some wickets.
“I really enjoyed it because I'm really used to bowling long spells because back home in Pakistan, I bowl lots of hours in the first-class cricket and Test cricket.
“I always enjoy my bowling and bowling long spells.
“I'm enjoying being here a lot, especially playing with players like Jimmy Anderson and Harry (Marcus Harris) and all the boys are very good.
“The results are not going well for Lancashire but still I'm enjoying (my time) with the team.
“I played league cricket for eight years, six in Bradford and two in Bolton, so I have played in English conditions.
“After that I was selected in the Pakistan team so maybe missed six, seven years, until playing in county cricket. It's a very good standard.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Luke Adams & Dan Adams
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