Tuesday 9 August 2016 10:20, UK
Ryan ten Doeschate and Graham Napier struck tons as Essex returned to the top of the Division Two table with a battling draw against Sussex.
The Eagles had started the final day in a tricky spot, having edged their way into a 73-run lead with six wickets remaining.
At one stage on Saturday afternoon their lead had only been 21, with four second innings batsmen back in the Colchester pavilion.
But thanks to ten Doeschate and Napier, the hosts batted their way to safety, allowing Essex to declare on 470-8 during the final session.
The draw moves them one point clear of Kent who had wrapped-up a three-day victory on Saturday.
Chris Silverwood's team had started out on Sunday at 163-4, with ten Doeschate and James Foster at the crease. The latter remained there for another 14 overs, adding 22 runs to his overnight score of 16.
Together with the Dutchman, Foster helped Essex add 99 for the fifth wicket before falling lbw to Chris Jordan's first ball of a new spell.
Ten Doeschate batted on for an obdurate 109 from 207 balls, before his 272-minute occupation was brought to an end by Luke Wells. The spinner bowled him around his legs, which left his team's score on 303-7.
Ealier, Ashar Zaidi had made 15, losing his wicket when he slogged Danny Briggs only to be caught at deep mid-wicket by Wells. Zaidi survived an earlier scare having been dropped at long off by Steve Magoffin.
But the day most certainly belonged to Colchester-born Napier who marked his last innings at Castle Park by scoring a first County Championship ton in four years.
He struck 124 off 155 deliveries, hitting four sixes and 17 fours, while teaming-up with David Masters to put on a vital 131 for the eighth wicket in 28 overs.
Napier, who retires next month after 20 years in the county game, was finally caught at long on by Magoffin off the bowling of Sussex wicketkeeper Ben Brown - his maiden first class wicket.
By the time Essex declared, Masters had made an unbeaten 47, with both teams happy to settle for a draw at 4.50pm.
Meanwhile, at Grace Road, there was another draw between Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
The visiting tail had wagged sufficiently on day three to give them hope of victory on Sunday although - in reality - a draw was always the most favoured result.
And on the final day it was the turn of the hosts to frustrate Derbyshire, as they turned an overnight position of 109-5, into a more respectable 294-9 declared.
Ned Eckersley was the key performer with his 12th First Class hundred, making 104 in just under four hours at the crease which enabled the Foxes to set their opponents an unrealistic target of 313 off 38 overs.
It was Eckersley's second ton of the match during which he passed 9,000 First Class runs in his 81st fixture.
Teenage debutant Callum Parkinson ended with match figures of 7-178, having also added an impressive unbeaten 48 with the bat when going in as Derbyshire's last man in their first innings.
In their second, they slipped to an uncomfortable 43-4 before adding an unbeaten 61 runs, at which point stumps were drawn for a final time.
