Ben Cox Impresses But Bad Light Dominates Third Day

By Simon Sinclair, ECB Reporters' Network

Durham need 10 wickets on the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash against Leicestershire to wrap up their Division Two title-winning season with a victory at Seat Unique Riverside.

The hosts were frustrated by a wet outfield and bad light in their bid to clinch their seventh win of the season within three days. Play eventually got underway after lunch in the afternoon, where Durham managed to claim the remaining four wickets of the Leicestershire first innings for 143 as Ben Raine finished with season-best figures of five for 51 and Vishwa Fernando four for 40.

Durham enforced the follow-on with a huge lead of 314 runs, but overcast conditions worsened in Chester-le-Street to prevent the hosts from inflicting further damage on the visitors as only 22.4 overs were possible on day three.

After day two of the contest was halted prematurely due to heavy rain, play on day three was delayed due to a wet outfield, prompting an early lunch. The action resumed at 1:30 pm with the visitors on 96 for six with Ben Cox and Tom Scriven at the crease, only for another stoppage for bad light to halt proceedings after four overs.

On their return to the field, Raine struck with his second ball pinning Scriven lbw for 11 to claim his first five-wicket haul of the season.

Durham continued to capitalise on advantageous bowling conditions when Matthew Potts, substituted into the side for Paul Coughlin following the culmination of England's ODI series against Ireland, bowled Chris Wright with a delivery that kept low.

Will Davis went down swinging against the Division Two champions. He scored three boundaries in a row from one Jonathan Bushnell over, including a six over long-on, before he tried one blow too many and missed a straight one from Fernando that cannoned off his back leg.

The left-arm seamer wrapped up the innings with his fourth wicket removing Josh Hull, dismissing the visitors for 143 with a deficit of 314.

Durham skipper Scott Borthwick enforced the follow-on, but his side's attempts to make inroads into the Leicestershire second innings were blighted by bad light. The umpires eventually called time with Leicestershire 13 without loss, although they still trail the hosts by 301 in their bid to avoid an innings defeat on the final day of the campaign.