Result: Durham (207 & 195/3; Borthwick 91, Stoneman 80) drew with Warwickshire (381/8d; Westwood 127, McCarthy 3/56)
A stand of 151 between Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman ensured Durham were able to take a draw from the Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Emirates Riverside.
Durham were only ten behind with eight wickets standing when Stoneman fell for 80 and Borthwick went on to make 91 before he departed five balls before hands were shaken.
Rikki Clarke came on bowling off spin and his first ball was so wide of off stump Borthwick could not resist flailing at it, only to get a big inside edge into his stumps.
Durham were on 195/3, 21 ahead with 22 overs still available when a draw was declared, taking eight points to Warwickshire’s 11.
Durham lost Keaton Jennings for a duck in the fifth, when he pushed forward and edged Keith Barker behind.
But Borthwick was soon stroking Barker effortlessly through the covers, while Stoneman had made only one when he whipped Chris Wright over long leg for six.
Patel came on for the 14th over and conceded only seven runs in his first nine overs, going closest to a breakthrough when Stoneman missed an attempted cut on 45 and was almost bowled.
A repeat of the stroke brought the three runs which took him to 50 as nine runs suddenly came off Patel’s tenth over.
Both batsmen completed their half-centuries off 93 balls and continued neck and neck as Durham reached 162/1 at tea, only 12 behind.
Stoneman was bowled by Patel without addition, but Jack Burnham survived to the close on ten not out.
Resuming on 344/7 in the morning, Warwickshire added 37 in ten overs, losing Tim Ambrose for 50, before declaring 174 ahead. Barker was unbeaten on 43.
Durham are next in action next Wednesday (31 August) when they take on Nottinghamshire at Emirates Riverside.
Close, Day Three: Warwickshire (344/7; Westwood 127) lead Durham (207; Richardson 55; Patel 5/32) by 137 runs
Only eight overs were bowled on the third day of Durham’s Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Emirates Riverside.
The visitors added 29 runs without loss to reach 344/7, stretching their lead to 137.
Despite the gloomy conditions, Tim Ambrose and Keith Barker were not in too much difficulty, although Barker edged Chris Rushworth just short of Michael Richardson at third slip.
Following morning rain, play began at 1.45 with the floodlights on. But 30 minutes later the umpires had to go along with the ruling that the natural light was not good enough and it showed no sign of improvement.
Close, Day Two: Warwickshire (315/7; Westwood 127) lead Durham (207; Richardson 55; Patel 5/32) by 108 runs
Ian Westwood doggedly rode his luck to make 127 keep Durham at bay as Warwickshire built a lead during the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Emirates Riverside.
The left-handed opener left his season’s previous best of 45 way behind before falling to the second new ball.
He was the middle victim as Warwickshire lost three wickets for seven runs after losing only one wicket in each of the first two sessions.
But for a bit more luck, Durham’s seam bowlers might have had Warwickshire more than seven down, with any number of balls passing the edge throughout the day.
However, they were also made to pay after he was droppe on 39 when Michael Richardson failed to hang on to a sharp, head-high chance at third slip.
Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell both fell in the 40s after surviving searching examinations from Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions.
Trott was troubled by Rushworth in his post-lunch spell and then proceeded to spoon a catch to Paul Coughlin at deep square leg off Barry McCarthy.
Onions beat Bell three times on seven, then almost bowled him via inside edge and pad, but the visiting captain began to prosper shortly after.
When Durham took the new ball, Rushworth immediately beat Westwood and the next ball was edged through where third slip might have been.
The luck suddenly changed when Bell tickled a leg-side ball from Rushworth to wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter.
Of the three fours Westwood added after his 100 two were off the edge, but his 264-ball innings ended when Borthwick dived to his right from second slip to give Rushworth his third wicket.
Having been out of luck all day since gaining an lbw decision against nightwatchman Chris Wright, Onions threw up his arms in exasperation when he beat Sam Hain.
But when he made way for Coughlin, Hain was adjudged to have edged behind and trudged off.
Rikki Clarke made only two before playing on when trying to drive McCarthy, leaving Keith Barker to keep Tim Ambrose company to the close.
Close, Day One: Warwickshire (25/1) trail Durham (207; Richardson 55; Patel 5/32) by 182 runs
Michael Richardson made 55 but Durham were bowled out for 207 on a tricky day for batting in their Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Emirates Riverside.
Wily spinner Jeetan Patel took a five-wicket haul as there were plenty of double figure scores but only Richardson could go past 50.
Warwickshire close on 25/1 after Chris Rushworth had Varun Chopra caught behind in the penultimate over of the day, tickling one down the leg side.
But the visitors remain on top in the match and Durham’s bowlers will need to come out hard in the morning session on Day Two.
Play began on time following morning rain, but it remained overcast until lunchtime and Durham had to battle hard to counter the swinging ball.
They were 59/2 from 29 overs at lunch, Keith Barker’s probing 11-over spell yielding 2/9, then Paul Collingwood faced 107 balls for 23.
Adopting his sternest Brigadier Block mode, Collingwood’s only four was a leg glance off Barker from the 67th ball he faced.
Stuart Poynter and Barry McCarthy, both back from Ireland duty, were bowled, Paul Coughlin skied a sweep to deep mid-wicket and Graham Onions edged an attempted reverse paddle.
Poynter’s recall to keep wicket meant Richardson was free to concentrate on his batting and he responded with his second Championship half-century of the season.
He hit seven fours before sweeping Patel for three to reach 50 off 68 balls, only to depart for 55 when Rikki Clarke stuck out his left hand at second slip to give Barker a third wicket.
Clarke also caught Jack Burnham, who had driven him for two glorious fours on either side of the wicket on his way to 30.
With 12 overs to bat, Warwickshire openers Chopra and Ian Westwood survived until the penultimate over.