Durham relegated after disastrous final-day collapse

Durham threw away a golden chance to secure their Division One status in the Rothesay County Championship as they failed to bat out the final two-and-a-bit sessions of their season finale against Yorkshire at Headingley and were relegated in the process.

Durham started their second innings 129 runs in arrears with a minimum of 89 overs left in the match against a Yorkshire side whose top-flight status had just been sealed by events elsewhere.

With relegation rivals Hampshire losing to Surrey at 10.55am, Yorkshire were safe. And that result gave Durham a lifeline. Draw the game and they too were secure in Division One for next season.

But they couldn't grasp the chance, crumbling from 29 for 1 to 85 all out inside 45 overs during a remarkable afternoon collapse which saw George Hill and Dom Bess shine with four wickets apiece.

Durham coach, Ryan Campbell, suggested afterwards that a "defensive mindset" had cost his side, as they attempted to survive rather than wipe out the deficit quickly.

"I can't explain it. It's just a total capitulation," he said. "Unfortunately, it's happened a few times this year. The pressure went on and our blokes couldn't stop it. Obviously, there's a room full of gutted people. We were handed a lifeline and we didn't take it.

"I've always said that we bat at our best when we look to score. When you look to score, you get yourself into better positions and make better decisions. I think, obviously, there was a very defensive mindset of trying to get through. What then happens is that if you lose a couple of wickets, you haven't gone anywhere.

"The facts are that we were 120-odd behind when we started, and we needed to get rid of that as quick as we could. That takes courage to back your skills and ability, and that's something we've always done.

"But today was one of those days that will probably go down in Durham's folklore of hanging our heads in shame. We're going to have to rebuild and come back bigger and better next year."

Yorkshire's fourth win of the season - this by an innings and 44 runs - consolidated their position in seventh place, with Durham losing for the sixth time to join Worcestershire in Division Two next season.

Play started here at Headingley with Yorkshire advancing their first-innings 465 for 9 to 475 all out.

Jordan Thompson moved from 44 to 50 and was last man out to Ben Raine's seam, drilling a catch to long-off. When Thompson reached his fifty off 112 balls, he tapped the white rose on his chest with his bat in an obvious acknowledgement of his love for his home county ahead of a winter move to Warwickshire on a three-year contract.

Raine finished with excellent figures of 5 for 76 from 35.4 overs. Having scored a first-innings 101, he became the fifth man in Durham's first-class history to hit a century and return a five-wicket haul in the same match. He didn't deserve this outcome, despite an ill-judged shot with the bat in the second innings.

So, with Durham's task clear, there was absolutely no need for adventure with the bat in hand.

They reached lunch at 27 for 1 in 23 overs, losing Emilio Gay caught behind off the inside-edge pushing forwards at Hill's seam. But then came the drama, the visitors losing their last nine wickets for 56.

Bess had Lees caught behind for 18 pushing forwards just after lunch, a beauty of a delivery to the left-hander.

And when Thompson's seam accounted for Ben McKinney and David Bedingham in successive overs, Durham were 62 for 4 in the 35th. McKinney was lbw offering no shot, Bedingham caught behind.

Hill also trapped Ollie Robinson lbw with one that kept low shortly afterwards and struck again in his next over to get Graham Clark caught at backward point for his 50th Championship wicket of the season. Durham were 76 for 6 in the 41st over.

It took less than four more overs for the game to finish in deteriorating light. Raine miscued to mid-off running around as he tried to hit Bess over the top before Matthew Potts was caught at short leg and Daniel Hogg was caught behind - three wickets falling in the 44th over.

Will Rhodes was then trapped lbw by Hill to finish the game, the last four wickets falling for two runs in only 10 balls.

Yorkshire were jubilant, especially Hill with 4 for 14 in 10.5 overs and Bess with 4 for 22 from 17.

Durham were disconsolate, and it will take some time to work out how they let this one get away. Hamphire survived in their place after one almighty scare.