MCC in trouble as Durham maintain stranglehold on match

Abu Dhabi: Durham maintained a stranglehold on their county curtain-raiser against the MCC on the third day of play at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium.

Durham reached 228 for six yesterday before declaring for the second time in the match to set their rival a target of 526 on the final day. Phil Mustard, Callum Thorp and Kyle Coetzer all hit half-centuries.

MCC were in deep trouble at close losing five wickets in a total of 77. Thursday will be the final day of play.

Steve Kirby, the Gloucestershire pace bowler bowled well in the morning against Ian Blackwell and Will Smith. The Durham pair survived Kirby's first spell.

However, Jon Lewis, with his first ball of the innings, bowled Smith out for 11.

Left-arm spinner Dean Cosker then matched Lewis' feat, striking with his first ball when he got Blackwell to edge to Dawid Malan at slip.

Eighteen-year-old Phil Mustard hit a good-looking 50, which included eight fours, but fell in the second session caught by James Taylor off the bowling off James Middlebrook.

That brought Kyle Coetzer and Callum Thorp together. Thorp struck a half-century before moving past his previous first-class best of 75.

Coetzer had followed up his career-best 172 in the first innings with an unbeaten 52 not out.