County Championship: Tom Fell helps Worcestershire grind it out

Tom Fell needs a further 115 runs to go past 1,000 runs in a Championship season for the first time

Worcestershire batsman Tom Fell led dogged resistance against Durham at Chester-le-Street to try and keep alive outside hopes that Division One's bottom club can avoid relegation.

Fell lasted over three hours for his 83 out of Worcestershire's 223-4.

He had reason to rue his ill luck when he was run out going for a third, after Graham Onions' apparent misfield.

Recalled Tom Kohler-Cadmore was on 46 at the close, chiefly made in his 93-run fourth-wicket stand with Fell.

Kohler-Cadmore was only playing because of the late withdrawal of Alex Gidman, who will miss both the final two Championship games of the summer because of a broken finger suffered in fielding practice on Sunday.

After play began 30 minutes late, Worcestershire's main achievement of the day was to deny the country's leading wicket-taker Chris Rushworth a wicket.

Brett D'Oliveira was fluent in making 36 in a half-century opening stand with skipper Daryl Mitchell before falling lbw to Barry McCarthy.

Mitchell's painstaking vigil of 17 off 95 balls ended off the third delivery after lunch when he played back to off-spinner Ryan Pringle and was also adjudged leg before.

Gidman had made 397 runs in 12 County Championship matches for Worcestershire this summer

Joe Clarke helped Fell put on 42 before he edged Onions low to third slip's right, where Gordon Muchall held a brilliant catch.

But then came the day's main talking point when Kohler-Cadmore turned the ball to long leg, Onions' fumble created indecision and Fell called for a fatal third run.

His partner responded, then changed his mind when they were almost together in mid-pitch and Fell's dive back to his crease proved to no avail.

Worcestershire have West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel making his debut against Durham as replacement for spinner Saeed Ajmal.

Worcestershire batsman Tom Fell told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"It was a very disappointing way to get out because I felt I was on for a hundred. It was the sort of freak incident you have to laugh about, otherwise you'd cry.

"The way Graham Onions reacted we thought it had gone for four, but suddenly the ball was flying in as we were stopping and starting. It was a big misjudgement. I hope it will never happen again.

"It's the first time I've batted here and the pitch wasn't as tough to bat on as I'd been led to believe. It's a bit slow and tacky and we would have fielded if we'd won the toss."