Durham v Worcestershire: Scores and match report

Match scores (Riverside, Chester-le-Street)

Match drawn

Durham 1st inns: 197 (Poynter 43, Rushworth 30, McCarthy 29*; Tongue 4-41, Hastings 3-44)

Worcestershire 1st inns: 367 (D'Oliveira 122, Ali 58, Clarke 45, Whiteley 43; Wood 5-54, Pringle 4-73)

Day four report

John Hastings was not convinced by the pink ball after Worcestershire's Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street ended in a rain-affected draw.

No play was possible over the last two-and-a-half days as Worcestershire were denied the chance to build on their 170-run first-innings advantage.

"It was unfortunate we didn't get to see how the ball performed over 96 overs day in, day out," said Hastings.

"I've used a pink Kookaburra quite a bit back home in Australia, but I think the Dukes has a long way to go.

"It allowed the bowlers to dominate early on, but went soft around the 25-30 over mark. It's a different game playing day-night cricket because the ball reacts differently under lights."

Hastings, who played for Durham in 2014 and 2015, took three for 10 in eight overs in his opening spell as the hosts were reduced to 18 for five on the first morning, when he had Ben Stokes caught behind for a duck.

"That one bounced a bit more and nipped away slightly," he said."He's a good mate so it was nice to get him out.

"I don't think the pink ball did anything exceptional - I've seen the red one do more at Riverside.

"On a fresh pitch here it's hard as a batsman - you have to react to what the ball does off the pitch."

Durham's second innings never got under way after they were dismissed for 197 in response to Worcestershire's 367.

Coach Jon Lewis said: "The ECB won't have got the information they wanted out of this game. We have played well in our last two matches but our standards dropped in this one.

"The only benefit for us is that our bowlers only had to bowl once. We have had seven seamers injured at various times, but Paul Coughlin will be fit to play at Chesterfield next week and Usman Arshad will come into the reckoning. Graham Onions isn't far off." 

Day three report

No play was possible on the third day of Durham's Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at home to Worcestershire because of persistent rain.

That meant there was no chance of Michael Richardson and Tom Fell stepping into the action as the replacements for Keaton Jennings and Joe Clarke, who are now on England Lions duty.

Fell's chances of batting look remote as the forecast suggests there might be just enough play on the final day for Worcestershire to go for an innings win.

A day and a half has now been lost, play being abandoned after 43 overs on Tuesday, when the rain arrived just in time to prevent Durham starting their second innings 170 runs adrift.

Jennings made only six on the first day and would have welcomed a second chance as he awaits the announcement of the England squad for the first Test against South Africa.

Durham will delay a decision about their Twenty20 captain until they know whether he is available to continue in the role he held during the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Day two report

Mark Wood proved his fitness for the Test series against South Africa with five for 54 before rain halted the second day's play in Durham's Specsavers County Championship Second Division match at home to Worcestershire.

The paceman took the visitors' final two wickets with the new pink ball, but not before they had established a lead of 170.

Brett D'Oliveira completed his century and Moeen Ali made 58 in Worcestershire's total of 367.

Prior to England one-day duty, Wood took three for 206 in two matches for Durham at the start of the season as he felt his way back from ankle surgery.

Looking sharper now, he had already taken three of the wickets when Worcestershire resumed on 213 for four.

He completed his haul by knocking out Ed Barnard's off stump with his seventh delivery with the new ball before forcing last man Josh Tongue to fend a catch to short leg.

There were also four wickets for off-spinner Ryan Pringle, who had been treated with the utmost respect by Glamorgan last week but found himself under attack this time, conceding 73 in 12 overs.

In gloomy conditions, with the floodlights again on from the 2pm start, runs came briskly as Moeen played in carefree style.

When Durham posted a short extra cover he chipped Chris Rushworth over the fielder, but was fortunate as two inside edges took him to 50 off 59 balls.

D'Oliveira, who resumed on 91, drove Rushworth for three through extra cover to complete his 159-ball century with 15 fours and a six then top-edged Ben Stokes' second ball of the day over the wicketkeeper for another boundary.

When Pringle was introduced D'Oliveira hit him for four to mid-wicket then lifted a no-ball over long-on for six before whacking a full toss straight to cover to depart for 122.

Following the stand of 130, Moeen swiftly followed, missing a sweep in Pringle's next over to fall lbw. Three wickets had gone down for six runs when George Rhodes sat back to cut and edged to wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter.

Ross Whiteley was on one when he drove Pringle for a straight six as he and Ben Cox stopped the rot with a stand of 73.

In Pringle's final over before the new ball was due Whiteley tried to heave him over mid-wicket and was bowled for 43. Wood did the rest, leaving Cox unbeaten on 32. 

Day one report

Ben Stokes had a day to forget as Worcestershire adapted to the pink ball better than Durham in the Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street.

He was out for a seven-ball duck as Durham crashed from 12 without loss to 18 for five before recovering to reach 197.

Worcestershire replied with 213 for four, three of the wickets going to England colleague Mark Wood as Stokes conceded 69 in 12 wicketless overs.

The visitors took the bold gamble of sending in John Hastings and skipper Joe Leach to slog following the early loss of Daryl Mitchell. Both hit a six before departing in fairly manic fashion.

A more measured approach then saw Brett D'Oliveira and Joe Clarke put on 77. D'Oliveira played some handsome strokes and looked comfortable until twilight, when he edged Rushworth through the slips for his ninth four to reach 50 off 72 balls.

On 59 he sliced Barry McCarthy to point, where Stokes leapt and was unable to hang on, then another edge evaded the slips. But as darkness closed in prior to the 9.47pm finish, D'Oliveira reasserted himself to remain unbeaten on 91.

Wood returned for a second spell and his third ball sent Clarke's off stump flying for 45, but Moeen Ali saw out the remaining 14 overs and will resume on 36.

The day began badly for Durham when New Zealander Tom Latham was unable to make his debut because of a suspected stress fracture in a foot.

On an overcast day the floodlights were on from the 2pm start and Worcestershire dispensed with the toss before Leach and Hastings wreaked havoc. When they pitched it up it swung; when they hit the deck it bounced and seamed.

Hastings enjoyed an opening spell of 8-4-10-3 against his former team-mates, capped by having Stokes caught behind when trying to withdraw his bat from a steeply-bouncing ball.

Leach also produced a snorter to account for Keaton Jennings, who got an inside edge into his leg stump.

After three wickets fell on 18, Paul Collingwood stopped the rot by making 25 before he sliced a drive low to gully to become the first of four victims for Josh Tongue.

Batting looked easier after tea as the last three wickets added 133.

Stuart Poynter and Wood had put on 54 when Wood cut a long hop from Tongue straight to deep backward point.

On 43 Poynter played across an inswinging yorker and was bowled by Tongue, then Rushworth contributed 30 to a last-wicket stand of 50 with McCarthy before lifting a catch to deep square leg.

Hastings was in as early as the third over of the reply, when Mitchell propped forward and edged Wood behind.

The burly Australian launched Rushworth over long-on in making 12 before edging an attempted hook off Wood to Poynter. Leach holed out at deep mid-off after making 15.

They were short-lived knocks, but at 59 for three after 10 overs Worcestershire were much better off than Durham had been with plenty of batting to come.