05 Sep,2026
8 hours ago
Callum Parkinson's career-best bowling figures are 8-148 Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Cinch County Ground, Northampton (day four) Durham 205 & 261: Lees 80; Chahal 5-84 Northamptonshire 263 & 50: Kimber 8; Parkinson 6-20 Durham (19 pts) beat Northants (4 pts) by 153 runs
Durham spinner Callum Parkinson ripped through Northamptonshire's batting line-up, claiming remarkable figures of 6-20 as the hosts were skittled for just 50, their lowest ever score against the north east county. Chasing 204 to win against their Division Two promotion rivals, Northamptonshire lost all 10 wickets within 22.2 overs on the final morning of the County Championship match at Wantage Road, losing by 153 runs with over two sessions to spare.
Matthew Potts again showed why he is the country's leading wicket-taker as he built pressure from the other end with express pace and claimed two wickets for just 13 runs in seven overs. Parkinson, who at times found some sharp turn, benefited at the other end as Northants attempted to take on his left-arm spin with some rash strokeplay. Ben Stokes finished with 2-9. No batter made it into double figures in a morning of utter mayhem. The result consolidates Durham's position as Division Two leaders with three games remaining.
Earlier Northamptonshire had made short work of Durham's tail with leg-spinner Yuzi Chahal taking the last three wickets for 15 runs to finish with figures of 5-84. Resuming on 246-7, Durham soon lost Potts, bowled by a Chahal delivery which turned across him and hit off-stump. Chahal then removed Ollie Robinson lbw and had Parkinson caught at mid-on.
Ricardo Vasconcelos started the chase by punching Potts down the ground but was smartly stumped by Robinson when he danced down the wicket to Parkinson. Soon after Northants skipper Luke Procter fell to Potts for the second time in the match when he was trapped lbw. The Durham quick made life difficult for the right-handers too, moving the ball back in and issuing several vociferous lbw appeals but it was Parkinson who struck next when Nathan McSweeney swept round the corner to Kasey Aldridge.
Saif Zaib followed next over when he nicked behind off Potts to leave the hosts' innings in tatters. A double-wicket strike from Parkinson in the 12th over further extinguished Northamptonshire hopes. First Calvin Harrison drilled one to Potts at short cover who parried the ball before holding the catch, then two balls later George Bartlett nicked behind.
Stokes got among the wickets in his opening over when Lewis McManus chopped on to his stumps before Parkinson completed his five-fer by bowling James Sales with an absolute ripper of a delivery which darted back in. The end was almost in sight. Louis Kimber slog swept Parkinson straight to deep midwicket before Chahal hit Stokes to second slip to finish an abject batting display from the home team.
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