The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day four of round 13 of the Vitality County Championship in 2024
Chester-le-Street (day four of four): Lancashire 228 & 282, Durham 537-9 - Durham won by an innings and 63 runs
Durham's Matthew Potts took a career-best 9 for 68 to help his side complete their innings and 63-run thrashing of Lancashire in the County Championship match at The Riverside.
Resuming on 155 for 4 and needing another 190 runs to avoid their fourth innings defeat of the season, Lancashire lost their last six wickets in less than a session and were bowled out for 282. The only shred of comfort for the visitors was offered by 20-year-old Matty Hurst, who made 67, his second fifty of the match and fifth half-century of the season.
At one stage of his devastating spell from the Lumley End, Potts was on a hat-trick but he had to settle for three wickets in four balls when Tom Bailey nicked his second delivery to first slip Scott Borthwick. The Durham spearhead finished his first spell on this final morning with figures of 10-1-30-5 and ended the game when he had Anderson Phillip leg before wicket to complete a match return of 12 for 126.
Durham take 24 points from the game, effectively ending any lingering fears of relegation, whereas Lancashire take one point, a return which keeps them in ninth place in Division One deepens their anxieties that they will be playing in the second tier next April.
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Matthew Potts took a career-best haul to leave Lancashire in the mire (Getty Images)
Chelmsford (day four of four): Essex 457, Nottinghamshire 93 & 281 - Essex won by an innings and 83 runs
Simon Harmer claimed his second four-wicket haul of the Vitality County Championship match as Essex wrapped up an innings victory over Nottinghamshire before lunch on the final day.
The South African off-spinner finished with 4 for 93 as Nottinghamshire's batting collapsed for a second time in double-quick time to lose by an innings and 83 runs.
The relegation-threatened visitors folded from their overnight 180 for 2, still needing 184 to make Essex bat again, losing their remaining eight wickets in 38 overs while adding 101 runs in an extended morning session. They had conceded a 364-run deficit on first innings when bowled out for just 93.
Harmer, who added two wickets in the morning, was ably supported by Sam Cook and Paul Walter, who took two wickets apiece to condemn Nottinghamshire to their fourth defeat of the season.
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Canterbury (day four of four): Hampshire 403 & 24-1, Kent 207 & 338 - match drawn
Kent will live to fight another day in Division One of the County Championship after they battled for a draw with Hampshire on a thrilling final day at Canterbury.
Kent were all out for 338 in their second innings, leaving Hampshire to chase 143 from nine overs at 15.89.
Jack Leaning made exactly 100 in a stand of 149 with Harry Finch, who was the last man out for 79, while Kyle Abbott took four for 66 and Muhammad Abbas three for 69.
Hampshire spent 2.4 overs trying to pull off an improbable run chase and were 24 for 1 when bad light stopped play at 5.54pm.
It's been a tough season at The Spitfire Ground, but the members who stuck by their team were finally rewarded with a superb day of cricket that was fascinatingly poised throughout, particularly during a fractious and excruciating final session.
Jack Leaning's century kept Hampshire at bay (Warren Little/Getty Images)
Taunton (day four of four): Somerset 317 & 224, Surrey 321 & 111 - Somerset won by 111 runs
Spinners Archie Vaughan and Jack Leach sparked a dramatic late Surrey collapse as Somerset boosted hopes of a first-ever County Championship title with a thrilling 111-run win over the Division One leaders at Taunton.
Chasing 221 to win on a turning pitch, Surrey were bowled out for 111 with less than five minutes left in the game, 18-year-old Vaughan claiming 5 for 38 and match figures of 11 for 140, while Leach finished with 5 for 37.
Only Dom Sibley (56) and Ben Foakes (20) offered prolonged resistance, but their fourth-wicket stand of 49 in 29 overs looked to have secured a draw before seven wickets fell for 14 runs at the end.
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Archie Vaughan finished the match with a remarkable 11 for 140 (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Worcester (day four of four): Worcestershire 307, Warwickshire 128 & 252-3 - match drawn
Will Rhodes struck his third century of the season to steer Warwickshire to safety in their hard-fought Vitality County Championship draw with local rivals Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
The result leaves Worcestershire and Warwickshire 40 and 36 points respectively ahead of second-from-bottom Lancashire and both are strongly placed to ensure another campaign of top-flight cricket.
Former Warwickshire captain Rhodes is ending a seven-season association with the Bears at the end of the campaign to join Durham on a three-year contract.
He showed his quality in defying the home side’s push for victory after Warwickshire had followed on and were still eight runs in arrears with three second wickets down at the start of the final day.
Rhodes cover drove Logan van Beek for his 15th four to reach three figures off 198 balls.
When a heavy downpour post-lunch ended play, the 29-year-old was unbeaten on 121, needing just 46 more runs to complete 1,000 in a first-class season for the first time.
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