COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE ROUNDUP: Essex and Surrey play out a stalemate at Chelmsford, and there was a similar outcome at Edgbaston
Chelmsford (day four of four): Essex 582-6d, Surrey 365 & 219-6 - match drawn
Dom Sibley remained immovable for 77 overs to underpin Surrey's successful fight to salvage a draw in their opening match in the defence of the Rothesay County Championship title.
Surrey had started the final day with a target of 217 to avoid an innings defeat, and Sibley appeared determined to make sure the reigning champions batted throughout to save both the game and their faces after a chastening four days at Chelmsford.
The former England opener put on 101 in 41 overs in a decisive fourth-wicket stand with Ben Foakes before he departed for 66 after a four-and-a-half-hour, 221-ball vigil. Foakes reprised his first-innings stubbornness with a second half century of the match before Ryan Patel and Jordan Clark saw them sneak over the line at 219 for 6 and handshakes on the draw at 5.36pm.
Two wickets in seven balls early on day four gave Essex a brief scent of a victory that had looked highly probable when they asked Surrey to follow on, but apart from three late wickets, the match meandered towards the inevitable draw. They used eight bowlers in the innings in an effort to change the narrative, but to no avail.
Related: Josh Tongue finds life in the old ball to inspire Nottinghamshire victory
Taunton (day four of four): Worcestershire 154 & 485-9, Somerset 670-7d - match drawn
A defiant century from Brett D'Oliveira and superb last-day resistance from Matthew Waite saw Worcestershire to an unlikely Rothesay County Championship draw with Somerset at Taunton.
Beginning the day on 280 for 5 in their second innings, still 236 runs short of making their hosts bat again, the visitors closed on 485 for nine, D'Oliveira contributing a rock solid 121 off 340 balls, with 14 fours, and Waite an equally skilful 87 not out, from 319 deliveries, with nine boundaries.
Jack Leach claimed his 500th first-class wicket in returning 4 for 103. But Ben Allison, Tom Taylor and last man Tom Hinley all played their parts in a committed rearguard action that left Somerset hugely frustrated at the end of a match they dominated. They took 16 points to Worcestershire's nine.
Somerset were unable to force a win over Worcestershire (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Edgbaston (day four of four): Sussex 528 & 313-7d, Warwickshire 454 & 104-2 - match drawn
Warwickshire and Sussex banked solid points from a draw after their high-scoring Rothesay County Championship Division One match drifted up the predictable cul-de-sac at Edgbaston.
Sussex declined to set up a contest on the final day, batting themselves safe before finally declaring their second innings on 313 for 7, with Tom Alsop not out on 82. That set the home side a notional target of 388 in a minimum of 44 overs.
Warwickshire closed on 104 for 2, Rob Yates ending unbeaten on 65 (82 balls) to complete his excellent start to the season with 180 runs for once out, three wickets and a catch in the match.
Trent Bridge (day four of four): Durham 378 & 289, Nottinghamshire 579 & 89-2 - Nottinghamshire win by eight wickets
Colin Ackermann's second century of the match was not enough to stave off defeat for Durham, who succumbed to Nottinghamshire by eight wickets after a match-turning spell by England fast bowler Josh Tongue.
South African-born Netherlands international Ackermann made 124 to go with his first-innings 116 as Durham, who had trailed by 201 on first innings, looked to emerge with a draw from the opening round of the Rothesay County Championship.
But Tongue, on a Nottinghamshire debut delayed by a full season because of injuries following his 2023 move from Worcestershire, shattered that ambition by taking 5 for 66, somehow conjuring four wickets in 12 deliveries from a ball right at the end of its 80-over match lifespan.
Durham lost their last five wickets for 21 runs, leaving Nottinghamshire needing 89 to win from 40 overs remaining in the match, a task they completed for the loss of two wickets, skipper Haseeb Hameed making 39 and Joe Clarke 35.
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