Earlier than hoped-for alarm call fails to deny Durham

A fire in their hotel roused Durham’s players from their beds at around 1.30am and they had to wait in the cold for around four hours before alternative accommodation could be found.

Groggy and set a seemingly impossible 183 from a maximum of 23 overs after Nottinghamshire had been bowled out in their second innings, they nevertheless romped home with six wickets and 16 deliveries to spare in their Division One encounter.

Mark Stoneman made 69 – his half-century off 24 balls going down as the quickest in Durham’s history – as he and Phil Mustard raced to an opening stand of 125 in just 11.5 overs.

England off-spinner Graeme Swann eventually dismissed both, Stoneman for 69 and his partner for 72, and also claimed the wickets of Ben Stokes and Dale Benkenstein.

But the damage had already been done and a jubilant Gareth Breese saw his side over the finishing line.

Matt Prior equalled the Sussex record for the most dismissals in an innings as his side fought back against champions Warwickshire on day two at Hove.

The wicketkeeper dived full-length to his left to remove last man Boyd Rankin as Warwickshire were dismissed for 453, and became the ninth Sussex player to claim six dismissals in an innings.

Sussex had reached 129-1 at stumps, but any attempts to force victory look like being thwarted by a slow pitch.

In Division Two, Gloucestershire looked on course for their first win of the season at the end of the third day against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

They bowled out the hosts for 217 in their second innings to leave a victory target of 188, and had reached 16 without loss off seven overs by the close.

Northamptonshire snatched a first-innings lead at the halfway mark against Kent thanks to captain Stephen Peters’ century.

Peters enjoyed one mid-afternoon let off, but otherwise maintained intense concentration for 297 minutes to post his first hundred of the summer and help his side reach 303 in reply to Kent’s first day total of 271.

Murray Goodwin scored his first half-century for Glamorgan to help the Welsh county into a dominant position against Lancashire at Colwyn Bay.

The former Sussex batsman made 69 as Glamorgan reached 242 all out – a first-innings lead of 119.