Parkinson stars as Durham dominate Worcestershire in three-day county win

Callum Parkinson’s 5-13 and Ben Stokes’ two wickets led Durham to a nine-wicket victory over Worcestershire in the Division Two match.

Match overview Durham secured a commanding nine-wicket win against Worcestershire in the Rothesay County Championship, Division Two at New Road. The visitors finished the match on the third day, gaining 20 points while Worcestershire earned five. Worcestershire posted totals of 308 and 102, while Durham responded with 268, before reaching 143-1 in pursuit. ## Parkinson’s bowling mastery Callum Parkinson delivered a match-defining spell of 5-13 as Worcestershire crumbled from 53-0 to 102 all out. His eighth career five-wicket haul triggered a rapid collapse, with key wickets including Adam Hose and Brett D’Oliveira caught and bowled. Parkinson then helped restrict Worcestershire to 102, finishing with five dismissals in the innings. ## Stokes strikes early Ben Stokes returned to the attack and made an immediate impact, claiming two wickets in his first two balls. He dismissed Worcestershire’s Tom Taylor for a golden duck with an lbw decision and then trapped Roderick for 15 with a top-edged slog sweep. Stokes completed the demolition by bowling Darley for five to seal the innings collapse. ## Durham’s dominant batting display Durham’s Ben McKinney led the chase with an unbeaten 87 off 71 balls, striking 13 boundaries in a rapid fifty from 44 deliveries. Emilio Gay contributed 51 as the visitors powered to victory without further loss. The pair added 114 for the second wicket to comfortably chase down the target of 143. ## Worcestershire’s batting struggles Worcestershire’s top order collapsed under pressure, managing just five double-digit scores across both innings. Jake Libby top-scored with 28 before being bowled by Ben Raine, while Graham Clark impressed with 78 before falling to Ethan Brookes. The hosts were bowled out for 102 in a single session after a brief recovery to 208-6. ## Key moments from day three Worcestershire began day three at 208-6, with Tom Taylor and Graham Clark steadying the ship. Clark reached 78 but was removed by Brookes, while Matthew Waite’s 43 and Kasey Aldridge’s 13 offered minor resistance. Parkinson’s entry into the attack at 72-5 accelerated the collapse, with Ethan Brookes and Matthew Waite among his victims.