With promotion already secured, due to Leicestershire failing to get batting point vs Sussex, Durham required maximum of five points to clinch top spot and Division Two title vs Worcestershire, and duly did so to clinch trophy; Will return to Division One for first time since 2016
Thursday 21 September 2023 20:03, UK
Durham clinched the LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two title after bowling out Worcestershire shortly before the close of a rain-affected third day at New Road.
With promotion already secured last week without bowling a ball when Leicestershire failed to get a batting point against Sussex, Durham required a maximum of five points to clinch top spot.
The three secured for dismissing Worcestershire for 313, plus the ones dropped by the home side for batting, ensured Durham finished in pole position to be back in Division One for the first time since 2016, when they were relegated over financial issues.
Ben Raine and Bas de Leede finished with three wickets each, while captain Brett D'Oliveira was Worcestershire's top scorer with 63 off 75 balls.
At the Kia Oval, Ben Foakes and Jamie Overton led a fightback from Division One leaders Surrey against bottom-of-the table Northamptonshire on another rain-affected day.
Title rivals Essex had cut into Surrey's 18-point lead by taking two more bonus points against Hampshire.
Northamptonshire - who will be relegated if either Middlesex or Kent win - put the pressure on as they reduced Surrey to 79-6 before a spirited response from Foakes and Overton, who made an unbeaten half-century, helped move them on to 158-6 when bad light and rain ended play early.
Surrey still trail by 199, but a draw still looks the most likely outcome heading into the final day's play.
At Chelmsford, Hampshire batter Tom Prest scored his maiden Championship century to frustrate title hopefuls Essex despite a five-wicket haul for Simon Harmer.
Prest scored an unbeaten 102 to guide Hampshire past the follow-on score with vital contributions from openers Toby Albert (39) and Fletcha Middleton (47) as well as captain James Vince (46) and all-rounder Keith Barker (42).
South African Harmer claimed 5-143, but Hampshire ended the day on 322-8, now 125 runs adrift and with potential to set up a result on the final day.
Somerset's Tom Kohler-Cadmore celebrated his England call-up with a savage assault on Kent's injury-hit bowling attack on day three at Taunton.
Kohler-Cadmore - set to feature in the one-day international series against Ireland - hit eight sixes in a rapid 68 as the hosts extended their first-innings total to 404-4 before rain washed out the last two sessions.
Lewis Goldsworthy marked his first Championship appearance of the season with 122 and Andy Umeed contributed 49 as Somerset increased the pressure on relegation-threatened Kent, who have secured just one bonus point, before play was eventually abandoned at 4.50pm.
Goldsworthy earlier survived being dismissed cheaply in a bizarre incident which saw a piece of his bat fly off while playing a shot and dislodge his bails. He was relieved to see the delivery from Jas Singh had been called a no-ball.
At Lord's, another half-century from Sam Robson helped keep alive relegation-battlers Middlesex's hopes of a draw on a truncated day three against Warwickshire.
Lancashire made 225-6 against Nottinghamshire on a rain-shortened day at Emirates Old Trafford in a game steadily heading towards a draw having already lost two days to the weather.
Elsewhere in Division Two, Harry Swindells kept alive Leicestershire's promotion hopes, top-scoring with 73 in his first appearance of the year in the Foxes' red-ball team, against Yorkshire at Grace Road.
