County Championship: Borthwick & Stoneman earn Durham draw with Bears

Durham pair Scott Borthwick (868) and Mark Stoneman (821) both still have the target of 1,000 Championship runs for the season in their sights

Specsavers County Championship Division One, Emirates Riverside, day three
Durham 207 & 195-3 dec: Borthwick 92, Stoneman 80
Warwickshire 381-8 dec: Westwood 127, Ambrose 50
Durham (8 pts) drew with Warwickshire (11 pts)
Scorecard

Durham saw out the majority of the final day at Chester-le-Street to draw with Warwickshire, largely thanks to a 151-run second-wicket stand between Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman.

The Bears added 37 to their overnight score in 10 overs, losing Tim Ambrose for 50 before declaring 174 ahead on 381-8, with Keith Barker not out on 43.

With 84 overs to bat, Durham lost Keaton Jennings, who edged Barker.

But Borthwick (92) and Stoneman (80) helped their side reach 195-3.

Their fifth century partnership for Durham was a welcome return to form for Borthwick, whose form has dipped since he was reported to be back on the England selectors' radar earlier in the summer.

He departed only five balls before hands were shaken just before 17:00 BST, when Bears seamer Rikki Clarke foxed him by coming on to bowl off spin.

Clarke's first ball was so wide of off stump that Borthwick could not resist flailing at it, only to get a big inside edge into his stumps.

Warwickshire's 11 points from the draw leave them fifth in County Championship Division One, four points ahead of seventh-placed Durham.

With a game in hand too, Durham are now 35 points ahead of bottom side Nottinghamshire, who they host at Chester-le-Street next Wednesday.

Dougie Brown's Bears have two days to prepare for Monday's One-Day Cup semi-final against Somerset at Edgbaston.

Durham batsman Scott Borthwick told BBC Radio Newcastle:

"It's always nice to bat with Mark Stoneman. It's been a while since we put a stand together.

"I've never felt out of form, but in the last few games good balls have got me out.

"The pitch got firmer and better to bat on. It properly finished the way it was meant to start, but it had spent two days under covers because of the rain."

Warwickshire captain Ian Bell told BBC WM:

"We came in this morning excited about our opportunity considering the amount of movement there had been in the pitch. But it was not to be.

"This was a better day for batting, whereas yesterday would have been a good day to bowl.

"It seems to be a trend of the season that every time we get in a good position the weather gets in the way."