Durham 350/4dec & 166/4dec drew with Durham UCCE 190/7dec & 140/6.
George Drissell picked up 4/34 and Ben Raine scored an unbeaten 67* as Durham’s pre-season game against Durham UCCE ended a draw at Seat Unique Riverside.
With a delayed start to day three due to early morning rain, the students declared overnight on 190/7 and trailing Durham by 160.
The students put on early pressure for the Durham batters, losing Michael Jones lbw to Alfie Taylor-Clarke to a ball which hit the Scotland international right on the knee-roll.
While Bas de Leede was yorked for 0 to Oliver Stone and Durham in some trouble at 11/2, before skipper Ben McKinney skied Sam Martin-Jenkins for 22.
Ben Raine’s unbeaten 67 off 52 balls with 12 fours and 1 six, set up the Durham declaration at lunch closing on 116/4 and setting Durham UCCE 277.
Matthew Potts enjoyed an early breakthrough, finding the edge of Josh Kelly for 1, to give Haydon Mustard his third catch behind the stumps.
A 56-run partnership for the second wicket between Travis Norris and Nikhil Gorantla steadied the ship for the visitors before Raine sent Norris’ leg-stump cartwheeling for 33.
George Drissell then claimed three wickets in the space of seven overs, getting Schaefer and Lawrenson caught in the slips from Colin Ackermann, as Durham UCCE went into tea on 90/5 and the students still requiring 182 for victory.
Drissell them claimed his fourth when he pinned Oliver Metcalfe lbw for 6 and the visitors 140/6 and Durham needing four more wickets for victory.
Bad light then stopped play at 16:45 and play was abandoned, as both captains shook hands and rounded off the UCCE friendly as a draw.
Gorantla closed unbeaten on 36 from 55 balls with Drissell picking up 4/34 and Matthew Potts and Ben Raine one apiece.
Durham then return to pre-season action on Sunday taking on Yorkshire in a two-day pre-season warm up game at Headingley.
.Day 2, Durham 350/4 lead Durham UCCE 190/7 by 160.
Late wickets on day 2 for Durham put the hosts in command going into day 3 of their pre-season fixture with Durham UCCE at Seat Unique Riverside.
Due to heavy rainfall overnight in Chester-Le-Street an early lunch was taken with a view to start playing at 1:10, with two 36 over sessions to fill out the day.
Once play got underway in sunny conditions at the ground, skipper Travis Norris and Josh Kelly were able to show more of their positive shots as they looked to put their best foot forward in front of the Durham senior team.
Norris made his way to 18 before Matthew Potts opened his account for the day, inducing an edge for Haydon Mustard to take to break the opening stand.
Kelly and new batter Andrew Whaits put on a 50 stand for the second wicket, both showing their technical ability against accurate bowling from the Durham attack. Their resistance ended when Ollie Gibson had Kelly caught by Potts at first slip for 44.
Andrew Whaits looked steady for his 35, but was pinned lbw trying to sweep George Drissell, to give him his first of the session, as Durham UCCE went into tea on 120/3 in what was an even session for both sides.
Bas de Leede trapped Matthew Schaefer lbw just after the tea break for 3, as the South African was hit on the back pad, reducing the visitors to 128/4.
Nikhil Gorantla looked in fine touch, having scored 100 last summer against Durham while representing Northumberland, but was pinned on the pad lbw bang in front, for 47, three runs shy of his half-century.
George Drissell and Bas de Leede then claimed back-to-back wickets late on day 2, before bad light stopped play with Durham UCCE on 190/7 and trailing by 160.
George Drissell claimed 3/37 with de Leede (2) and Gibson and Potts bagging one apiece.
Day 1, Durham 350/4, Durham UCCE 15/0.
Colin Ackermann continued his fine form in pre-season with an unbeaten 179* before bad light ended play early on Day One of Durham’s three-day pre-season fixture with Durham UCCE.
After an uncontested toss and batting first on a cloudy morning at Seat Unique Riverside, skipper Ben McKinney and Michael Jones made a solid start on a green tinged pitch notching up a 50 partnership.
However, they both departed in quick succession as Jones was run out following a miscommunication, before McKinney was bowled by Sam Martin-Jenkins to bring Durham University back into the session at 72/2.
The Dutch duo of Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede moved Durham along nicely, showing plenty of attacking flair and finding the boundary regularly before the latter was bowled by spinner Freddie Fallows with just over half an hour before lunch.
Ackermann reached his 50 just after the break before accelerating through the first hour of the afternoon, reaching his first century at Chester-le-Street with his sixth maximum over midwicket that was befitting of his innings.
Jonathan Bushnell played his part in a century stand with Ackermann, providing a nice foil for the Dutchman and providing some nice shots of his own. He survived being dropped at first slip off the bowling of Fallows whilst in the 20’s, before chipping one back to him on 41 as Durham Uni got their first wicket of the afternoon.
Ackermann carried on in imperious manner, bludgeoning his way to a maiden 150 score and saving his best till last, landing a ball on the roof as McKinney declared on 350/4. Ackermann finished on 179* and Paul Coghlin added an unbeaten 34 from 17 deliveries.
Durham University came out after tea to a floodlit ground facing the task of batting out the rest of the day, and Travis Norris and Josh Kelly did a solid job of seeing off the new ball pairing of Ben Raine and Matt Potts before the umpires took the players from the field for bad light at 4:15 before end of play was called at 4:27, with Durham University 15/0.