Durham sweep aside Middlesex

A return to form for Matthew Wood who made 92 against Kent © Getty Images

Division One

Middlesex's poor start to the season continued at the Riverside after crashing to a comprehensive 135-run defeat at the hands of Durham. Chasing an unlikely 368, Middlesex lost Nick Compton (33) before Jamie Dalrymple and Ben Scott (49) put on a useful stand of 40 for the sixth wicket. Yet when Dalrymple's fine 71 was ended by Dale Benkenstein, the chances of staving off defeat was lost and Durham's bowlers ran through Middlesex's lower order to dismiss them for 232 inside 60 overs.

An excellent hundred partnership between Matthew Wood and Anthony McGrath helped Yorkshire earn a draw on the final day against Kent. The pair came together in the ninth over, when Joe Sayers fell for just five. With the pitch taking some considerable turn, the Kent captain, Robert Key, turned to seven bowlers but none could break through the defence of Wood and McGrath. Indeed, it was a welcome return to form for Wood who had only scored 49 runs from his last nine innings. And though he fell eight short of a deserved hundred, he and McGrath (123*) ensured Kent had little more than a draw to celebrate.

A fine maiden hundred from Mark Pettini led Essex to an excellent three-wicket win on the final day against Somerset at Taunton. Chasing 347, Pettini lost his opening partner Grant Flower cheaply and, when Essex slipped to 125 for 4, Somerset were threatening to run through Essex quite cheaply. Pettini was defiant, however. Along with James Foster (82*) and an aggressive fifty from Ryan ten Doeschate, Essex were home by three wickets.