Jennings 171* puts heat back on Notts

Nottinghamshire 313 and 17 for 1 need a further 300 to beat Durham 244 and 385 for 5 dec (Jennings 171*, Onions 65)
Scorecard

The day-long defiance of Keaton Jennings spoiled Nottinghamshire's hopes of the victory which would have given them a lifeline in Division One of the Specsavers County Championship. The opener joined Michael Di Venuto and Paul Collingwood as the only players to score six Championship centuries in a season for Durham and went on to make an unbeaten 171.

Durham were 385 for 8, leading by 316, when bad light forced a break, prompting a declaration which may have been influenced by a forecast of rain on Saturday afternoon. The sun re-emerged and Nottinghamshire, with eight overs to bat, reached 17 before Graham Onions trimmed Jake Libby's off stump with four balls left.

Five of Jennings' six hundreds have come at Emirates Riverside, underlining the improvement in pitches, and this third-day surface had the visitors looking careworn by lunchtime. Despite having a nightwatchman to bowl at, they went through the session wicketless as Graham Onions passed his career-best 41 and went on to contribute 65 to a stand of 162.

Jennings, who was on 32 overnight, almost fell to the day's second and ninth balls. The first edge off Luke Fletcher fell just short of gully and the second, off Harry Gurney, flew straight through where third slip should have been. Gurney beat him a few times, but generally offered a mixed bag, as did the other left-armer, Luke Wood.

Onions applied himself studiously to his task and made only eight in the first 45 minutes. He then off drove Gurney for four and lifted Imran Tahir over mid-on as he scored 49 of the 118 runs added in the session. A straight drive off Fletcher took him to his maiden half-century off 119 balls, earning rapturous applause and a hug from Jennings.

After Onions fell lbw when trying to hit Samit Patel over midwicket, the best support came from Barry McCarthy with 28 in an unbroken stand of 51. Fletcher took two wickets with the new ball and Tahir went on a celebratory jig through the covers when Stuart Poynter inside-edged a drive into his stumps.

Jennings proceeded at the same measured tempo, reaching 50 off 112 balls, his hundred off 204 and 150 off 285. He fiercely put away any short, wide stuff from the left-armers, drove sweetly and carefully nudged ones and twos. He also showed the skill which allowed him to score 88 in the NatWest T20 Blast final with three perfectly executed reverse sweeps.