A hat-trick of sorts from Yorkshire off-spinner Azeem Rafiq, pictured, was not enough to prevent Durham winning the opening match of the Second Eleven season by two wickets.

It was a closer result than had seemed likely when the visitors were coasting to an expected victory with seven wickets in hand, 10 overs left and 60 required.

Azeem took a wicket on the last ball of three successive overs - and a fourth followed with the first ball of his next and last over. It was all in vain as 14 runs were struck off the 49th over to pass Yorkshire’s total.

Gary Ballance was bowled in the third over of Yorkshire’s innings, but a partnership of 141 forged by Callum Geldart and Alex Lees got the innings on to a sound footing. Lees fell one short of a half-entury; and Geldart succumbed to the nervous nineties when he was trapped lbw nine short of a maiden Second Eleven century. Lee Hodgson chipped in with 37 as the innings closed with Yorkshire six down for 235.

Durham also enoyed a century partnership as Karl Coetzer and Ben Harmison adding 139 runs after two wickets had gone in the twenties. Harmison’s batting was better than his bowling - in his second over he managed to bowl six of the 21 wides his side delivered.

The two teams, with changes to both sides, meet tomorrow, Thursday, at Weetwood, using the pink balls chosen for the Second Eleven Trophy this season. It will be a novel experience for both.

Other Second XI match Yorkshire v Durham
Wednesday, April 13 2011 (10:45) at Weetwood, Leeds
Durham Won By 2 wickets
Yorkshire won toss and decided to bat

Yorkshire
GS Ballance  b RMR Brathwaite 1 
CJ Geldart lbw b WR Smith 91 
AZ Lees st MJ Richardson b GR Breese 49 
LJ Hodgson  b RMR Brathwaite 37 
DJ Wainwright c C Rushworth b KK Jennings 8 
Azeem Rafiq not out  9 
AE Lilley  b RMR Brathwaite 1 
JE Lee not out  6 
Did not bat: GS Randhawa, OJ Hannon-Dalby, BP Gibson+, JAR Blain*
Extras b1 lb9 w21 nb2 pen 0 33 
Total (50.0 overs) 235-6
FoW: 1-6 2-147 3-181 4-192 5-220 6-226

Bowler O M R W Wd Nb
RMR Brathwaite 8.0 1 35 3 8 (10) 0 (0)
C Rushworth 7.0 1 30 0 0 (0) 1 (2)
BW Harmison 4.0 0 25 0 8 (8) 0 (0)
MA Wood 5.0 0 29 0 2 (2) 0 (0)
GR Breese 10.0 0 33 1 0 (0) 0 (0)
WR Smith 10.0 0 38 1 1 (1) 0 (0)
KK Jennings 6.0 0 35 1 0 (0) 0 (0)

Durham
WR Smith c GS Ballance b JE Lee 11 
KJ Coetzer lbw b GS Randhawa 68 
MJ Richardson+ c AZ Lees b OJ Hannon-Dalby 1 
BW Harmison c BP Gibson b Azeem Rafiq 89 
GR Breese* c CJ Geldart b Azeem Rafiq 6 
MA Wood not out  31 
BA Raine st BP Gibson b Azeem Rafiq 5 
KK Jennings c and b Azeem Rafiq 1 
P Coughlin run out  1 
C Rushworth not out  5 
Did not bat: RMR Brathwaite and J Killeen    
Extras b1 lb4 w14 nb0 pen0 19 
Total (49.0 overs) 237 -8
FoW: 1-26 2-27 3-166 4-191 5-199 6-211 7-220 8-222

Bowler O M R W Wd Nb
OJ Hannon-Dalby 7.0 0 24 1 3 (7) 0 (0)
JE Lee 8.0 0 41 1 3 (3) 0 (0)
LJ Hodgson 6.0 0 23 0 1 (1) 0 (0)
AE Lilley 3.0 0 13 0 1 (1) 0 (0)
DJ Wainwright 10.0 0 56 0 1 (1) 0 (0)
Azeem Rafiq 10.0 0 45 4 1 (1) 0 (0)
GS Randhawa 5.0 0 30 1 0 (0) 0 (0)

Weather: Cloudy Pitch: Hard
Umpires: IJ Dixon JA Gomersall
Scorers: M Snook RV Hilton

Words and Statistics: MICHAEL SNOOK