Borthwick, Stoneman plot Durham route to safety

Durham 207 (Patel 5-32, Barker 3-29) and 195-3 (Borthwick 92, Stoneman 80) drew with Warwickshire 381 for 8 dec (Westwood 127, McCarthy 3-56, Rushworth 3-94)
Scorecard

A stand of 151 between Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman ensured Durham were able to hold out for a draw in the Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Chester-le-Street.

Durham were only ten behind with eight wickets standing when Stoneman fell for 80 and Borthwick went on to make 91 before he departed five balls before hands were shaken.

Rikki Clarke came on bowling off spin and his first ball was so wide of off stump Borthwick could not resist flailing at it, only to get a big inside edge into his stumps.

Durham were on 195 for three, 21 ahead with 22 overs still availabel when a draw was declared, Warwickshire taking 11 points and Durham eight.

It was a welcome return to form for Borthwick, whose form slumped when he was widely reported to be on the verge of England selection.

Things looked ominous for Durham when, with 84 overs to bat, they lost Keaton Jennings for a duck in the fifth, when he pushed forward and edged Keith Barker behind.

But Borthwick was soon stroking Barker effortlessly through the covers, while Stoneman had made only one when he whipped Chris Wright over long leg for six.

Patel came on for the 14th over and conceded only seven runs in his first nine overs, going closest to a breakthrough when Stoneman missed an attempted cut on 45 and was almost bowled.

A repeat of the stroke brought the three runs which took him to 50 as nine runs suddenly came off Patel's tenth over. Both batsmen completed their half-centuries off 93 balls and continued neck and neck as Durham reached 162 for one at tea, only 12 behind. Stoneman was bowled by Patel without addition.

Resuming on 344 for 7 in the morning, Warwickshire added 37 in ten overs, losing Tim Ambrose for 50, before declaring 174 ahead. Barker was unbeaten on 43.

Warwickshire captain Ian Bell said: "We came in this morning excited about our opportunity considering the amount of movement there had been in the pitch.

"But it was not to be. This was a better day for batting, whereas yesterday would have been a good day to bowl. It seems to be a trend of the season that every time we get in a good position the weather gets in the way."