Durham are in a strong position to claim their second Specsavers County Championship win of the season after Alex Lees’ century and Chris Rushworth’s three wickets underlined their dominance against Delray Rawlins and his Sussex team on Day Three at The 1st Central County Ground.
Rawlins and Sussex added one run to their overnight total as they were bowled all out for 232, and then after Lees made 143 and Gareth Harte 77, Durham declared their second innings on 284/3 and set Sussex 437 to win in a minimum of 126 overs.
Sussex employed seven bowlers including three spinners but with their main threat Robinson struggling to overcome a virus they made little headway as the stand grew. Lees reached the 14th hundred of his career with his 11th boundary, scored off Rawlins, and became only the third Durham batsman after Wayne Larkins and Michael Di Venuto to score a second-innings hundred after making a duck in the first.
At the close of play Sussex require 378 runs with 7 wickets remaining as they ended on 59/3 after 30 overs.
Durham 2nd Inning
..05 (09) Cameron Bancroft c Harry Finch b Ollie Robinson 143 (212) Alex Lees c Ben Brown b Will Beer ..77 (172) Gareth Harte c Delray Rawlins b Luke Wells ..17 (17) Jack Burnham Not Out ..10 (08) Graham Clark Not Out ..32 Extras (14b-3lb-5w-10nb) 284 Total for 3 Wickets after 68.5 overs
Fall of Wickets: 1-10 (Bancroft), 2-230 (Harte), 3-268 (Lees)
Sussex Bowlers
5.0-1-17-1 Ollie Robinson 9.0-4-24-0 Chris Jordan 11.-0-35-0 David Wiese 12.5-1-60-1 Will Beer 14.-1-47-1 Luke Wells 10.-1-47-0 Delray Rawlins 7.0-0-37-0 Aaron Thomason
Sussex 2nd Inning
..00 (05) Luke Wells c Jack Burnham b Chris Rushworth ..36 (84) Will Beer LBW Chris Rushworth ..00 (12) Harry Finch c & b Chris Rushworth ..17 (81) Stiaan van Zyl Not Out ..00 (00) Ollie Robinson Not Out ..06 Extras (1b-1lb-4nb) ..59 Total for 3 Wickets after 30 overs
Fall of Wickets: 1-0 (Wells), 2-4 (Finch), 3-59 (Beer)
Durham Bowlers
8.0-5-11-3 Chris Rushworth 6.0-1-28-0 Brydon Carse 5.0-3-03-0 Ben Raine 5.0-3-04-0 James Weighell 6.0-3-11-0 Liam Trevaskis
