Sussex edge ahead of Durham on weather-hit day

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6 days ago

Gurinder Sandhu is available for four Championship games in June and July for Sussex [Getty Images]
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Banks Homes Riverside (day three)
Sussex 361 & 111-4: Coles 53; Potts 2-19
Durham 327: Ackermann 65, Clark 51; Sandhu 5-83
Sussex (6 pts) lead Durham (5 pts) by 145 runs
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Match scorecard
Sussex edged in front of Durham but a weather-affected day makes the draw the most likely outcome of this Division One County Championship game.
Australia bowler Gurinder Sandhu took four wickets in the morning to finish with 5-83 as Durham were bowled out for 327, a deficit of 34 after the first innings.
After the visitors had fallen to 27-3 in the game's third innings, James Coles added 53 to his unbeaten 148 in the first knock.
However there were four separate stoppages for rain and bad light over the last two sessions until play was finally called with Sussex 111-4.
But with their lead still only 145, it will take something exceptional on the final day for either side to force a victory.
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Resuming on 249-5 and still 112 short of Sussex's 361, Durham had seen Graham Clark go on to a half-century before he gloved behind a short ball from Ollie Robinson to be out for 51.
But their chances of taking a first innings lead disappeared thanks to a series of rash strokes from the lower order as they lost their last four wickets for 26.
George Drissell fell for eight as he was caught in the deep, taking on a short ball from Sandhu, while Ben Raine departed for 10, caught driving the same bowler to extra cover.
Matthew Potts (two) was caught behind off an excellent delivery from Robinson before last man Sam Conners tried to take on a short ball from Sandhu and gloved it behind to be out for seven.
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It left the 32-year-old with a five-wicket haul on his Sussex debut and stole the headlines from Jofra Archer.
In his return to red-ball cricket, the England fast bowler finished with 1-32 from 18 economical overs.
Although he did not take a wicket on day three, he generated good pace and showed no ill effects of bowling on consecutive days.
England paceman Potts had Daniel Hughes playing on for a duck in the second ball after lunch before Raine had Tom Haines caught behind for 10.
And when Potts got Tom Clark to drag one on during a hostile spell, Sussex were in a spot of trouble, still only 61 ahead.
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But they were indebted to Coles, who brought up a half-century off 65 balls including 10 fours to lead the recovery.
He was bowled by one from Raine that kept a bit low to end a partnership of 73 with Danial Ibrahim and it was not long after that when persistent rain arrived to end the day 32 overs early.