Durham’s tail digs deep to deny Warwicks and draw

Durham’s tail dug deep to earn a draw and dent Warwickshire’s promotion hopes on day four of their captivating Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at Edgbaston.

Set 218 to win from 41 overs, Durham were fancying their chances but four wickets from Olly Stone helped reduce the visitors to 102 for eight with seven overs remaining.

The Bears intensified their efforts, missing the edge many times, but wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter and number 10 Matt Salisbury put on a resolute ninth-wicket partnership of 13 runs from 35 balls.

A valuable partnership of 89 from 202 balls between Sam Hain and Tim Ambrose who was dropped twice on 10 and 14, edged Warwickshire ahead in the game.

But once Ambrose was trapped lbw by Axar Patel, wickets fell at an alarming rate - five in nine overs - as the spinner bulldozed through the tail, once Barry McCarthy removed Keith Barker for five, to chalk up a career-best of seven for 54.

The 24-year-old bowled his namesake Jeetan for seven, before getting Chris Wright (15), Stone (0) and Ryan Sidebottom to hole out with the latter dismissal coming via the head of Will Smith at short leg.

Durham needed to go at over five an over to reach their target, but they were immediately put on the back foot.

Barker trapped Alex Lees lbw for nine, before Wright got Cameron Steel to edge behind for 21, whilst Stone dismissed Smith for eight an over later.

Stone struck again, Richardson given lbw, putting the visitors on 54 for four and needing another 164 to win from 22.4 overs.

Warwickshire struck with 21 overs remaining when Stone got Clark to find Hain at deep square for 23.

Axar Patel, who was going at a run a ball, was the next to fall trapped lbw by Barker for 22 leaving the experienced Collingwood and Poynter to see out the final the thirteen overs.

But Collingwood was caught by Ambrose for 13 off the bowling of Wright and McCarthy followed when Stone trapped him lbw for two.

Warwickshire’s tails were up but Durham’s batsmen were a match as they finished on 115 for eight.