September 25, 2006	Monday	Ramazan 1, 1427

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LONDON, Sept 24: Yorkshire and Durham confirmed their first division status for next season with a draw at Headingley on Saturday.

The result meant Nottinghamshire were relegated after picking up just one point in their hammering by Sussex a day earlier. It also represents a heroic escape by Durham, who were 203 for six on the second day before Dale Benkenstein and Ottis Gibson formed a record-breaking stand. Their partnership was eventually broken on the final day after reaching 315 and Yorkshire were duty bound to enforce the follow-on.

David Hughes had been sent by the ECB to act as a match referee for the day to ensure fair play, but Garry Park's maiden first-class century made sure Durham comfortably survived the day.

Shane Warne lost his cool as the season drifted to an anticlimactic conclusion at The Rose Bowl as Lancashire and Hampshire played out the final day.

Mark Chilton had spoken of still trying to force a win, despite the Championship going to Sussex, but ultimately the day became an end-of-season net for the Lancashire batsmen as they settled for sealing second place.

Middlesex ended their time in the first division with a battling draw against Kent at Canterbury as Nick Compton rounded off a fine personal season scoring his fifth century.

The draw was small consolation for Middlesex who had long-since been consigned to the drop.

In division two, Worcestershire grabbed the second promotion slot with an outstanding display on the final day against Northamptonshire at Northampton.

The home side were moving along nicely at 100 for one before Gareth Batty and Ray Price instigated a dramatic collapse to 143 all out.

Still, though, a target of 205 on a turning pitch was no cakewalk but Stephen Moore and Vikram Solanki hit fine half-centuries. There were contrasting emotions for Essex who watched promotion slip away as Leicestershire completed a five-wicket victory at Leicester.

Aware that they couldn't settle for a draw if Worcestershire won, Essex contrived a finish. They smashed 186 off 9.4 overs of joke bowling – Mark Pettini's ton taking just 27 balls – to leave Leicestershire chasing 301.

Tom New and John Maunders set the platform and all the middle order chipped in. However, it was Jim Allenby's 49-ball 68 that sealed the deal and completed an impressive Championship debut.

Surrey finished the season on a high as they beat Derbyshire by five wickets at Derby.

Alex Gidman's fourth century of the season guided Gloucestershire to a draw against Glamorgan at Cardiff.

Results:

County championship (final day of four):

Division One:

At the Rose Bowl: Match drawn.

LANCASHIRE 438 (S.G. Law 79, M.B. Loye 67; J.T.A. Bruce 4-85) and 339-6 declared (L.D. Sutton 111 not out, N.J. Astle 86, M.B. Loye 55); HAMPSHIRE 215 (J.P. Crawley 63; D.G. Cork 4-47).

At Canterbury: Match drawn.

KENT 603-6declared (D.P. Fulton 155, D.I. Stevens 126 not out, M.J. Walker 104, J.L. Denly 66, G.O. Jones 59); MIDDLESEX 413 (E.C. Joyce 99, D.C. Nash 64; R.S. Ferley 6-136) and 264-5 declared (N.R.D. Compton 100, O.A. Shah 52).

At Headingley: Match drawn.

YORKSHIRE 677-7declared (D.D. Lehmann 339, M.J. Lumb 98, A. McGrath 62, S.M. Guy 52 not out); DURHAM 518 (O.T. Gibson 155, D.M. Benkenstein 151, G.T. Park 77, G.M. Scott 77; A. Rashid 4-144) and 181-3 declared (G.T. Park 100 not out)

Finished on Friday:

At Trent Bridge: Sussex beat Nottinghamshire by an innings and 245 runs.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 165 (Mushtaq Ahmed 4-60) and 150 (Mushtaq Ahmed 9-48); SUSSEX 560-5 declared (M.H. Yardy 119, M.W. Goodwin 99, R.S.C. Martin-Jenkins 84 not out, R.R. Montgomerie 82, C.J. Adams 72, M.J. Prior 77).

Division Two:

At Derby: Surrey beat Derbyshire by five wickets.

DERBYSHIRE 385 (G.G. Wagg 94, L.J. Goddard 91) and 162-8 declared (I.D.K. Salisbury 4-53); SURREY 275-8 declared (S.A. Newman 67, M.A. Butcher 51; W.A. White 4-35) and 273-5 (S.A. Newman 83, M.A. Butcher 59 not out).

At Sophia Gardens: Match drawn.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE 525 (M.A. Hardinges 101, A.P.R. Gidman 92, H.J.H. Marshall 79, C.G. Taylor 54, D.A. Burton 52 not out; D.S. Harrison 4-95) and 308-9 declared (A.P.R. Gidman 118, H.J.H Marshall 73; D.S. Harrison 4-88); GLAMORGAN 597 (D.L. Hemp 132, D.D. Cherry 121, B.J. Wright 72, M.A. Wallace 64; V. Banerjee 4-150).

At Leicester: Leicestershire beat Essex by five wickets.

ESSEX 486 (A.N. Cook 132, J.S. Foster 103, A.J. Bichel 75 not out) and 186-0 declared (M.L. Pettini 114 not out, A.N. Cook 66 not out); LEICESTERSHIRE 372-4 declared (J.L. Sadler 128 not out, J. Allenby 103 not out, D.D.J. Robinson 80) and 301-5 (J. Allenby 68 not out, T.J. New 51).

At Northampton: Worcestershire beat Northamptonshire by five wickets.

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 342 (D.J.G. Sales 96, B.J. Phillips 75; G.J. Batty 4-109) and 143 (U. Afzaal 51; R.W. Price 4-38, G.J. Batty 4-43); WORCESTERSHIRE 281 (G.A. Hick 70, R.J. Sillence 64; M.S. Panesar 5-101) and 205-5 (S.C. Moore 59, V.S. Solanki 50; M.S. Panesar 5-76).—Agencies