England pacer Brydon Carse claimed his first five-wicket haul for Durham since 2021 during their County Championship Division Two match against Middlesex at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday. Carse, who was not selected for England's ongoing Test series against Pakistan, returned impressive figures of 5/72 to help Durham secure a first-innings lead of 49 runs on Day 2. However, the seamer completed his five-for in the most unusual fashion, as Middlesex tail-ender Naavya Sharma fell victim to a bizarre dismissal.
Carse bowled a full toss at Sharma that was heading straight towards the stumps, but the batter made a bizarre attempt to duck under the delivery instead of defending it. The ball went on to crash into the pads, handing Carse his fifth wicket of the innings. The Durham pacer could not help but smile as the umpire raised his finger, signalling the end of Sharma's innings.
BRYDON CARSE HAS FIVE!!!
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) September 9, 2026
Carsey's first five-wicket haul in Durham whites since 2021. #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/9u73VfW63S
Durham found an unlikely hero with the bat in Ben Raine, as the No. 10 batter top-scored with 58 to steer the side to 252 in the first innings. In reply, Middlesex were bowled out for 203, with captain Max Holden emerging as their highest scorer with 43.
Meanwhile, Carse was left out by England for the 2nd and the ongoing 3rd Test after being arrested on August 22 outside a nightclub. Derbyshire police confirmed they are investigating allegations of assault.
ECB also decided not to select Carse for the upcoming Sri Lanka series, despite him being available for selection.
According to Cricinfo, an ECB spokesperson said the decision is aimed at giving Carse time to address the issues surrounding the Derby incident and reset, while stressing that his omission does not prejudge the outcome of any ongoing investigation.
The series will begin with a three-match T20I leg, with the first game scheduled in Southampton on September 15, followed by the second T20I in Cardiff on September 17 and the third in Manchester on September 19.
Carse was previously disciplined for his off-field conduct in 2024, when he received a three-month ban, with a longer suspension, for historical breaches of the ECB's betting regulations. Since then, he has established himself as a regular across formats for England and was their leading wicket-taker during last winter's Ashes series in Australia.
(With Agency Inputs)
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