Rain spares Durham from defeat by Worcestershire

A celebrating Ben Raine celebrates bowling Jake Libby on the final day of Durham's County Championship Division Two match against Worcestershire at the Riverside, Chester-le-Street (18 September2026)Stu Forster - Getty Images

Durham fast bowler Ben Raine took the only Worcestershire wicket to fall in their reply, clean bowling Jake Libby for 10

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street (day four)

Durham 465: Agarwal 177, Robinson 97, Stokes 50; Waite 3-64, Taylor 3-66, Gibbon 3-92 & 235: McKinney 38; Allison 3-60, Waite 2-46, Taylor 2-55

Worcestershire 448: Hose 105, D'Oliveira 82, Taylor 61, Libby 55; Stokes 6-94 & 32-1 (9.3 overs)

Durham (15 pts) drew with Worcestershire (14 pts)

Match scorecard

The weather brought an early end at Chester-le-Street as Worcestershire were denied the chance to become the first team this season to beat County Championship Division Two leaders Durham.

The Pears were on 32-1, chasing 253 to win beat Durham, when play was finally abandoned at 15:40 BST.

But it did end Durham's six-game winning streak as Worcestershire become the first side since May to avoid losing to the Division Two champions.

After the match, Durham's players were presented with the Division Two trophy for the second time in three seasons.

Durham will end their season in Manchester next week, away to Lancashire, while Worcestershire will host Derbyshire at New Road.

Resuming on 161-6, with a lead of 178, Durham lost their last four wickets for 74 runs in 16.1 eventful overs in the morning session.

Ollie Robinson was leg-before for 22 to the eighth ball of the day from Ben Allison, who then picked up Ben Raine in his next over when he drove straight to Adam Hose at cover.

Durham's lead was only 204 when Kasey Aldridge was bowled for 34 by a ball that kept low from Tom Taylor but Matthew Potts and Callum Parkinson put on 48 for the last wicket.

After Potts was bowled for 35 by Fateh Singh's first ball of the morning, Worcestershire's quest to become the first team to defeat Durham in red-ball cricket this season got off to a poor start when Jake Libby was bowled by a shooter from Raine in the sixth over.

However, drizzle and bad light stopped play nine balls into the afternoon session, after which it was just a matter of time before they shook hands and handed out the tea and medals.

ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay.

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