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Worcestershire relegated while Hampshire in serious danger in County Championship Division One

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A round-up of all of today’s county cricket.

Worcestershire will spend next season in Division Two after defeat by Durham confirmed their relegation from LV= County Championship Division One.

The New Road side needed to win their final two games, and hope results elsewhere went in their favour, but a three-wicket defeat at the Emirates Durham ICG ensured they knew their fate with one game remaining.

Knowing victory was a necessity, Worcestershire scored quickly in the morning session before declaring their second innings on 217-9, a total they reached in 34 exciting overs with Ross Whiteley hitting 41 off only 21 balls and Graham Onions and Ryan Pringle claiming three wickets apiece.

That left Durham needing 291 for victory and they started poorly when Jack Burnham fell for only one off the bowling of Shannon Gabriel.

But only one more Durham wicket would fall in the next 43 overs - Mark Stoneman for 28 - as Scott Borthwick and Paul Collingwood put on 104 for the third wicket.

Borthwick fell agonisingly for 99 but Michael Richardson took over and scored an unbeaten 65 off 69 balls to see them over the line.

Image: Andrew Gale made it to three figures in Yorkshire's win

Hampshire's hopes of staying in Division One are hanging by a thread after a five-wicket defeat by Yorkshire.

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Andrew Gale's century for the champions saw them to their target of 304 for victory, set up after they agreed to declare their first innings and Hampshire forfeited their second innings.

The decision looked to be a good one for the strugglers when they reduced Yorkshire to 37-3, Adam Lyth (12), Alex Lees (5) and Gary Ballance (17) all back in the pavilion.

But Gale and Jack Leaning steadied the ship and then kicked on, with Leaning making 76 out of their stand of 190 before becoming the fourth wicket to fall - a second for Fidel Edwards.

Edwards also accounted for Gale, who hit 16 fours in his innings of 125, but Tim Bresnan (35) and Andy Hodd (17) put on an unbroken 41 as Yorkshire took their points total to 265, setting a Division One record.

Marcus Trescothick of Somerset cuts the ball during the LV County Championship match against Hampshire
Image: Marcus Trescothick scored his sixth double century

Hampshire's defeat means they are 16 points adrift of Sussex and 18 behind Somerset, with those two teams having played out a draw at Hove.

Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick made a magnificent unbeaten 210 while Peter Trego contributed an undefeated 100 as their side scored 438-4 declared in response to Sussex's 409.

Somerset recorded 13 points to Sussex's 11 but neither side are mathematically safe yet.

Sussex toiled all day in the field but managed to take only two wickets, both going to England all-rounder Chris Jordan, who finished with figures of 3-110 and accounted for James Hildreth (68) and James Allenby for a duck.

But from 262-4, Somerset put on a further 176 runs for no loss, with Trego hitting 13 fours and two sixes in his 128-ball knock. Trescothick's sixth career double century included 26 fours and one maximum.

Jake Ball - six Sussex first innings wickets
Image: England Lions bowler Jake Ball claimed four wickets for Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire preserved their hopes of finishing runners-up by grinding out a draw with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

After rain and bad light sent the match into its final day still in its first innings, only collusion by the captains could salvage the match from stalemate.

But Nottinghamshire had made it abundantly clear overnight that they were not interested in creating a contest. They chose instead to bat on from their overnight 254-5 in pursuit of bonus points which keep them on Middlesex's shoulder in the race to finish second.

They were finally bowled out for 365 to which Warwickshire replied with a tatty 187 all out on a low-key final day of their home season. Jake Ball celebrated his England Lions call by taking 4-48, while Luke Wood, Brett Hutton and Luke Fletcher took two wickets apiece.

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