Potts century earns Edgbaston draw for Durham

Matthew Potts scored his maiden first-class century to help Durham earn a draw on their return to County Championship Division One action against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

But stubborn batting, led by nightwatch Potts (149 not out), saw Durham close on 293-6 and earned them a draw after their first match back in the top tier against Hampshire was abandoned without a ball being bowled last week.

A draw looked a long way off when the visitors conceded 698-3 in the first innings, but their response of 517 was the third highest score by a team which then had to follow on.

Both bowling attacks were nullified by a combination of a placid pitch, the Kookaburra ball and injuries, as Warwickshire’s Chris Rushworth suffered a calf niggle and Durham’s Scott Boland a sore heel.

If Warwickshire were to force a result on the final day, they needed to strike early but overnight pair Potts and Colin Ackermann were rarely troubled as they stretched their partnership another 100 minutes into the morning session.

The third-wicket pair added 79 in 30 overs before Ackermann played back to Rob Yates and a sharply turning ball knocked out his middle stump.

Potts lifted Danny Briggs straight for six on his way to a 97-ball half-century and advanced smoothly to his maiden ton.

David Bedingham settled alongside him as the pair added 67 before the South Africa Test player donated a maiden first-class wicket to Jacob Bethell when he hit a long hop to deep mid-wicket.

That left Durham four down and still 25 behind with 50 overs left but, after a burst of heavy rain, Potts and Ollie Robinson (52) took their fifth-wicket stand to 90 runs in 19.2 overs to keep Warwickshire at bay.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network.