Day 1:
Five dreadful minutes, just before stumps were due to be drawn here to-night at the end of the first day's play, altered Scotland's prospects of winning their first match with Durham County.

Going to the wicket after tea Scotland were doing well, but then things suddenly began to happen, and at the close instead of being in a favourable position, they were 128 runs behind with not much batting strength among the five wickets that had still to fall.

Though Aitchison, the Kilmarnock minister, did not bat as well as on some previous occasions- and was never comfortable against a fast attack- Winrow showed all the signs of improving the position with some hard hitting in an innings of 44 on his first representative appearance. A forceful left-hander, he wasted no time and there were five 4s besides one 6 in his breezy innings. Second out, he left at 63.

Barkham and Lumsden settled down very well and took the total to 94, at which point both were dismissed. Lumsden, who had had difficulty in getting to the match because of the week-end rail strike, looked like staying till the end, when he played a poor stroke and was yorked by Lowerson, the Durham fast bowler, who had been brought on for a second spell.

The Scottish captain, Laidlaw, should have shown better judgment in a minor crisis by sending in his number ten or eleven, but he stuck to his original batting order, and the day's play ended somewhat disastrously for Scotland when Dewhurst, the new "cap" from Perthshire, fell a victim to Lowerson in the same over.

At best, Scotland might-get a draw, but, if they do, it would all go to emphasise how unsatisfactory a match confined to two days can be.

Durham batted most of the day, there being three or four short stoppages for rain on a parched wicket that gave no great help to the Scottish bowlers; even so, Durham's innings was largely a one-man show, thanks to the youthful and powerful Hardy, who stayed for three hours to survive the nervous 90s and get his reward in a century that included some sparkling off-side scoring strokes and fourteen 4s. He owed nothing at all to luck.

Day 2:
Scotland gained an eight-wicket victory over Durham County here to-night, to give them their first post-war win in representative matches.

This was one of the occasions when it was proved that Scottish cricket is so much better when the players are not terrified by big names and lose the match in the pavilion. The overnight position was not too favourable, but, thanks to Willie Nichol, the prospect was completely altered. He played splendidly and punishingly, there being one 6 and thirteen 4s in his glorious 83, scored in just over two hours.

This adventurous example inspired Laidlaw to play one of his best innings ever for Scotland, incidentally against his own county, of which he is vice-captain, and he and Nichol added 116 for the seventh wicket. Then, as if that did not represent a day's work, Nichol led a hostile Scottish attack, to dismiss Durham for 114, and make victory almost a certainty.

This was achieved in 48 minutes, thanks to Winrow and Lumsden. The former had five 4s and the latter seven.

Lumsden, incidentally, will not be able to play for Scotland again this season owing to R.A.F. fixtures, but I hear he might be back in Edinburgh when he is demobilised.

If that happens, there will be loud cheers at Myreside.

(Article: Copyright © 2013 Cricket Scotland http://cricketscotland.com)