Durham's bid for a maiden Championship title was undermined by fine Sussex resistance at the Riverside, as well as Nottinghamshire's win at The Oval.

With the first day having been lost to rain, and both teams batting solidly, a draw looks the inevitable result on an unusually flat Chester-le-Street track.

Durham totalled 380 from an overnight 325-4, Sussex replying with 267-6.

Sussex's main contributors were Chris Nash with 96 and Matt Prior with 58, while Steve Harmison took 2-59.

Durham should at least bank a useful haul of draw points on Saturday, but they will still be at least 10 adrift of new leaders Nottinghamshire at the start of the final round from next Wednesday.

That gap will be a tough one for both them - and Somerset (also destined to draw against Yorkshire) to bridge.

And the most likely denouement now is that Nottinghamshire will do enough against Hampshire at Trent Bridge to win the silverware for the second time in four summers.

Mohammad Sami (5-95) and Jason Lewry (4-82) wrapped up the Durham innings pretty efficiently in the morning, before Nash batted brightly for the visitors, putting on 64 for the first wicket with Michael Yardy and 93 fort he third with Murray Goodwin.

Harmison's fellow seamers were unable to provide any much-needed breakthroughs, with spinners Paul Wiseman and Gareth Breese eventually gaining in-roads later in the day.