Nash denies Durham first victory

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Hove
FINAL DAY: Match Drawn. Durham 380 and 299-4 dec, Sussex 363 and 169-5(Sussex 11pts, Durham 11pts)
6-9 May 2009

Sussex v Durham scorecard

Liam Plunkett took two quick wickets after tea to trigger hopes of victory

County champions Durham are still looking for their first win in defence of their title after Sussex frustrated them on the final day at Hove.

Chasing 317 in 56 overs, Sussex slumped to 109-5 when Liam Plunkett took two wickets in 15 balls straight after tea.

But first innings hero Andrew Hodd and opener Chris Nash saved the game.

The sixth wicket pair saw out the final 90 minutes to keep Durham at bay, Nash making 85 as Sussex hung on to salvage a draw from the game on 169-5.

Earlier, Durham's Gordon Muchall scored his first Championship hundred for more than three years before Durham declared on 299-4.

Michael Di Venuto also hit a century against his former county.

The Australian left-hander, who began his English county career a decade ago at Sussex, added 28 to his overnight 75 to lodge his second Championship hundred in four innings.

Sussex initially showed their intent to try and go for their runs, scoring 72 out of their first 105 runs in boundaries. But they lost too many wickets to build up any real momentum.

Skipper Mike Yardy hit three boundaries before he carved Steve Harmison to gully in the third over. And Ed Joyce then lost his off-stump to Calum Thorp's inswinger in the sixth to leave Sussex on 16 for two.

Nash and Murray Goodwin took advantage of ultra-attacking fields to put on 55 in 13 overs.

But Goodwin was pinned in front by Mitchell Claydon. And Sussex nerves were starting to fray when Rory Hamilton-Brown drove the first ball after tea to point and Luke Wright was taken low down at slip driving hard outside off-stump at Plunkett.

But Nash held things together with his first half-century of the season, finishing on 85 from 149 balls with 11 fours, while Hodd (21 not out) helped him add 60 in 26 overs to secure the draw.