Close, Day Four: Durham (172 & 507/8d; Jennings 221*, Arshad 84) drew with Yorkshire (323 & 238/5; Lees 74)
Keaton Jennings hit a historic double century but Durham could not quite force victory after an absorbing four days of Specsavers County Championship cricket against Yorkshire.
Jennings continued from his overnight position to score 221*, the highest score for a Durham batsman against Yorkshire and the fifth-largest score by any player in the club’s history.
It was also the first time Durham passed 500 in the second innings before the declaration was called on 507.
With Ben Stokes and Mark Wood on 12th man duties in the absence of injured captain Paul Collingwood, Durham struggled for early wickets but got themselves into a good psotion when Ryan Pringle took two wickets.
But Jack Leaning and Tim Bresnan survived for 25 overs after coming together to see off the Durham attack and see the game home for a draw.
Alex Lees played fluently in an opening stand of 112 with Adam Lyth but two wickets in two balls by Barry McCarthy halted any possible advances towards a shot at victory.
Replays suggested Lyth’s dismissal was fair after Stokes took a sharp slip catch and there were no doubts about the next ball, which nipped back sharply to have Kane Williamson lbw.
From the hat-trick ball Gary Ballance survived raucous appeals for a leg-side catch by Michael Richardson then scored 17 off the next six balls he faced.
But Durham recalled Graham Onions, who in his first two spells conceded only 20 in 11 overs and had Ballance caught behind for 32 with an excellent ball from round the wicket. It pitched on off stump and seamed away to take the edge.
Gale made a sedate 17 before he edged behind when pushing forward, then Lees stayed back and was bowled by a shooter for 74.
Durham batted on for 55 minutes to add 55 runs in the morning as the partnership with Chris Rushworth reached an unbroken 82.
Yorkshire take 11 points from the game and Durham eight, leaving us unchanged in third position.
Close, Day Three: Durham (172 & 452/8; Jennings 185*, Arshad 84) lead Yorkshire (323; Ballance 78; Rushworth 5/93) by 301 runs
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Keaton Jennings’ career-best 185 not out, his fourth century of the season, transformed Durham’s fortunes on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match at home to Yorkshire.
When Paul Collingwood joined the left-handed opener, Durham still trailed by 46 but the captain contributed 61 to a stand of 117, then Usman Arshad capitalised on the fatigue of a depleted attack.
He registered a career-best 84 and contributed towards 156 for the seventh wicket as Durham reached 452/8 at the close.
But the day largely belonged to Jennings after his knock moved him ahead as the top-scorer in either division of the Championship and set up a tantalisingly close final day.
And Durham head coach Jon Lewis paid tribute to the batsman after the close of play.
“That was an exceptional innings by Keaton. He is very tired but he’ll be raring to go again in the morning” said Lewis.
“For three years he has been as hard a worker as you would wish to meet. He’s a very focused guy who wants to be the best he can be all the time.”
He had to shrug off an early setback when Michael Richardson was run out for 13 after a mix up between the pair.
Despite his patience and wiliingness to bat throughout the day, the left-hander did not pass up on opportunities to score on either side of the wicket.
Collingwood profited from several steers to the third man boundary and passed 50 himself, before falling lbw to Kane Williamson.
Ryan Pringle moved quickly for his 20 before he was bowled, bringing Jennings and Arshad together in a mammoth stand for the seventh wicket.
Arshad played some audacious strokes, launching Lyth down the ground for two big sixes and nonchalantly running Bresnan to third man for his seventh four to reach 50 off 66 balls.
He fell when nicking behind, feathering through to Andrew Hodd, and Barry McCarthy fell in similar fashion to Patterson.
But Chris Rushworth saw out the day with few alarms, accompanying Jennings to the close after a sensational day for the opener.
Close, Day Two: Durham (172 & 98/3; Jennings 46*) trail Yorkshire (323; Ballance 78; Rushworth 5/93) by 53 runs
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Durham ended Day Two 53 runs shy of Yorkshire after making 98/3 in their second innings of the Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street.
Chris Rushworth added one wicket to his overnight tally to record his first five-for of the 2016 season.
But ex-England men Gary Ballance and Tim Bresnan carried the visitors to a total of 323 as the tail wagged to take the lead over 150.
In reply, Durham went off quickly but lost three wickets in the evening session as Yorkshire edged the second day.
Keaton Jennings looked solid in scoring 46* while Michael Richardson is with him on six, and the pair are hoping to hit top form tomorrow to keep Durham in with a chance of winning this game.
Bresnan caught Mark Stoneman off his own bowling, Scott Borthwick was undone by a ball from Adam Lyth that barely lifted and Jack Burnham was trapped lbw by Steve Patterson.
In the morning the Durham bowlers struggled to settle as Ballance and Andrew Gale took 31 off the first four overs.
They continued to prosper until Gale took a step down the pitch to off-spinner Ryan Pringle and clipped a catch straight to Stoneman at short mid-wicket.
Graham Onions returned to knock out Jack Leaning’s middle stump and angled one across Ballance to have him caught at second slip for 78.
And Rushworth completed a five-wicket haul by nipping one back to have Andrew Hodd lbw, but Bresnan found two useful allies in Shaw and Coad as 87 were added for the last two wickets.
Shaw eventually fell to Borthwick and Bresnan was eventually the final man out, handing Barry McCarthy a first wicket of the match.
Durham had 46 on the board in the ninth over when Stoneman was dismissed and the visitors’ tight seam attack slammed the brakes on as just 52 were added in the remaining 27 overs.
Close, Day One: Yorkshire (129/4; Lees 71; Rushworth 4/42) trail Durham (172; Burnham 49; Patterson 6/56) by 43 runs
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Chris Rushworth took all four Yorkshire wickets to fall after Durham were bowled out for 172 on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Emirates Riverside.
The 29-year-old returned to remove Alex Lees (71) and nightwatchman Steve Patterson three overs from the close after a tough day for the hosts.
Jack Burnham earlier held the innings together with 49 as Patterson registered career-best figures of 6/56, extracting some sideways movement and significant bounce from the wicket.
And Lees led the pursuit for the visitors until Rushworth’s late two wickets pegged them back slightly, finishing the day 43 runs behind.
Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale elected to bowl first without a toss and was rewarded after an opening partnership of 49 between Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings.
Patterson was also rewarded for his relentless accuracy in a 14-over spell broken by lunch, during which he took 4/44.
Jennings was the first wicket to fall, misjudging a Josh Shaw delivery that nipped back and removed his off stump.
Scott Borthwick then pushed Patterson to Gale’s right at mid-off and hesitated before trying a single, which proved fatal after the fielder’s pinpoint throw saw him well short of his ground.
Patterson moved one into left-hander Stoneman to have him lbw without addition to his luncthime 45 just before Burnham, on four, was dropped at first slip by Lees off Shaw.
Burnham went on to make 49 before he was last man out, skying to cover off Patterson, who also accounted for Michael Richardson, Ryan Pringle and Paul Collingwood.
After a disappinting innings, Durham went on the search for early wickets and found a couple through the highly-skilled seam bowling of Rushworth.
Adam Lyth edged a drive at an away swinger and Kane Williamson fell for ten when Jennings moved to his left to hold a very sharp catch at gully.
Gary Ballance settled in and he and Lees looked set to see proceedings out until the close of play.
But Rushworth’s two late wickets kept Durham with a slight inroad ahead of Day Two.