By JMB
September 23 2006

Yorkshire have drawn with Durham at Headingley in a match that sees Nottinghamshire relegated from Division One. Durham batted through the day and were rescued, after a first innings collapse by Garry Park, who made his maiden first class hundred. Goodbye Darren Lehmann. It has been a pleasure to watch you play cricket in Yorkshire over the six seasons you have been an honorary Yorkshireman. You have never let us down and have provided moments which will stay with Yorkshire cricket lovers forever. It was fitting that you saved us from relegation in your last season here. This website would like to wish you a long and happy life and hope that you take with you only good memories of your time with us. Darren Lehmann you are a legend.

MATCH DRAWN

- DURHAM 181-3 declared. Park (100) Harmison (33). Park scores his first hundred. The season has meandered to a close. Yorkshire and Durham are safe. Anyone who put money on Nottinghamshire being relegated a couple of weeks ago has a big smile on their face. It has been a strange season to be a Yorkshire cricket fan. Performances particularly in the first half of the season were poor. A good run in the Twenty20 Cup seemed to turn the season around and give the players confidence. It has been a superb effort to avoid the drop this season. With young players like Rashid and Lawson taking their chance in the first team there are definite grounds for optimism in 2007.

- DURHAM 160-3. Park (90) Harmison (26). Durham edge ahead - effectively 1-3 now, not that there is any time for that to be a meaningful statistic.

- DURHAM 145-3. Park (79) Harmison (22). Park beats his highest first class score for the second time in the match.

- DURHAM 112-3. Park (63) Harmison (7)

- DURHAM 83-3. Park (41) Harmison (0)

BENKENSTEIN OUT ct McGrath bowled Rashid for 26. DURHAM 83-3.

- DURHAM 78-2. Park (37) Benkenstein (25)

TEA - DURHAM 38-2 Park (13) Benkenstein (9)

- DURHAM 26-2. Park (2) Benkenstein (8)

- DURHAM 1-0. Maher (1) Scott (0)

YORKSHIRE HAVE ASKED DURHAM TO FOLLOW ON. Durham need to bat out the remainder of the day to save themselves from relegation.

- DURHAM 518 ALL OUT. Durham's last four wickets fall for just 12 runs and they have just missed the follow on target. Rashid ends with 4-144. Durham are 159 runs behind on the first innings.

- DURHAM 514-8. Wiseman (5) Killeen (0) Benkenstein was out ct Guy bowled Lawson for 151 when the score was 506. Benkenstein and Gibson had added a record seventh wicket stand of 315. As so often happens after a long stand Gibson fell four runs later for 155. Gibson was bowled by Rashid. The pair have surely saved Durham's season.

- DURHAM 471-6. Benkenstein (138) Gibson (138)

LUNCH DURHAM 444-6. Benkenstein (126) Gibson (123) This is now Gibson's highest first class score beating his previous best of 101. Unless something remarkable happens this afternoon this match is going to peter out into the draw most pundits have anticipated. This will see Nottinghamshire relegated alongside Middlesex.

- DURHAM 438-6. Benkenstein (125) Gibson (118)

Start delayed due to rain.

On a day when Darren Lehmann waves goodbye to the Headingley crowd for the final time he can be proud to have played the part he has in this match. It may be a long time before we see his like again.

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