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Table-topping Durham draw

Author: Rose Young
Date: 15/07/2009

Durham remain at the top of the County Championship Division One table after drawing with Yorkshire at Headingley.

The north-east club, who are the online betting favourites to retain their title, are 16 points clear of second-placed Somerset at the halfway point of the season but the White Rose county have now gone 19 matches without a victory.

Durham started the final day in danger of losing their first game of the season when they resumed on 288-7 but were eventually able to declare on 421-9 thanks to Phil Mustard (85) and Liam Plunkett (65).

That gave them a chance of securing an unlikely victory but Yorkshire held on for their sixth draw of the season making 98-4 from 50.3 overs.

Somerset and Hampshire also drew at Taunton as John Crawley batted throughout the final day.

The veteran former England international, who was on 14 overnight, was still there at the end of the game having made an unbeaten 81 during an innings that lasted nearly six hours.

Hampshire eventually reached 357-5 as Liam Dawson (69) and Sean Ervine (58) also frustrated Somerset.

Meanwhile, in Division Two, leaders Kent were held to a draw by third-placed Surrey.

Kent scored 620-7 in response to Surrey's first-innings total of 386 but were unable to clinch victory as Mark Butcher (60 not out) and Usman Afzaal, unbeaten on 24, helped the Brown Caps reach 170-3 by the close.

On the second day of the game at Cheltenham, Derbyshire are on course to clinch only their second win of the season after bowling Gloucestershire out for 164.

Derbyshire, who had made 326 in their first innings, then reached 126-3 at stumps, 288 runs ahead, with South African Wayne Madsen unbeaten on 71.

Sussex began the defence of their NatWest Pro40 title with a comfortable victory over Essex at Chelmsford.

Replying to their hosts' total of 263-8, Sussex reached their target with ten deliveries to spare as they claimed a four-wicket success.

Opener Ed Joyce was Sussex's star, scoring 91 from only 78 balls in an innings that included 13 boundaries.

Bangladesh won only the second Test in their history with a 95-run success against West Indies in Kingstown.

The home side were missing all their regular starters due to a contract dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board but were unable to reach their victory target of 277, being dismissed for only 181.

Meanwhile, England's women retained the Ashes after drawing with Australia at Worcester.

Captain Charlotte Edwards scored a half-century as England reached 106-3 on a rain-affected final day.

Can England's men replicate the women's achievement and win this summer's Ashes? - Latest Cricket Betting

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