Sean Dickson becomes first Durham batsman with three successive first-class hundreds

The opener reached three figures in 69 balls - five short of the Durham fastest century record, posted by Ben Stokes earlier in this game - and shared in a first-wicket stand with Alex Lees worth 170 in 21.3 overs before the declaration came

Sean Dickson described his fourth hundred of the LV= Insurance County Championship season as a "freak" knock as the Durham batsman's remarkable start to the campaign continued against Worcestershire.

Dickson became the first batsman to score centuries in three successive first-class innings for the county, and notched the second fastest first-class hundred in Durham's history as the visitors pulverised Worcestershire's bowling attack on day three.

The opener reached three figures in 69 balls - five short of the record posted by Ben Stokes earlier in this game - and shared in a first-wicket stand with Alex Lees worth 170 in 21.3 overs before the declaration came, leaving Worcestershire needing 442 for victory.

The Pears finished the third day on 85 for 2.

^{Sean Dickson made his third successive first-class hundred on Saturday [Dan Mullan/Getty Images]}

"It was a freak hundred today. We just went out there to get a score on the board so we could bowl at them this evening and it just happened," he said.

"I did realise when I was on about 60 that I was in with a chance of the fastest century for Durham but they kept bowling really wide down the leg side. I was going for it.

"It wasn't to be but I was really happy with the performance."

SEAN DICKSON: 2022 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP FORM

v Glamorgan: 23

v Leicestershire: 120 & 84

v Nottinghamshire: 54 & 19

v Sussex: 34 & 186

v Worcestershire: 104 & 105

Dickson has now made scores of 120, 84, 54, 186, 104 and 105 in Division Two this season. He currently averages 81 and, prior to play on Sunday, had more runs than anyone else in the County Championship (729).

"We did the right thing not to enforce the follow on," he said.

"It is quite hard work for the bowlers, especially on pitches like this, so it gave them a couple of hours off the field so they could get some recovery going and hopefully we can take eight more wickets [on Sunday].

^{Dickson has hit 729 runs in the County Championship this season [Dan Mullan/Getty Images]}

"We've got the quality and the bowlers to do it." 

Worcestershire allrounder Joe Leach reflected positively on his team's exertions on day three.

"We were on the back end of the game coming into the day after yesterday and a couple of remarkable innings throughout the course of yesterday and the day before. Realistically, it was always going to be an uphill struggle in trying to win the game so the next best thing was a draw," he said.

"It was really important this morning that the guys could put overs in the legs of the Durham bowlers and try and absorb as much time out of the game as we could and we did that as well as we could have hoped. We forced them to bat again for a while and come through the day as well as we could realistically expect to. 

"We've had as good a day as we could have hoped for but we are still on the wrong side of the game at the moment and have got a lot of hard work to do."

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