County Championship: Marcus Harris hits ton but Gloucestershire cannot deny Durham victory

Marcus Harris made the 26th first-class century of his career, half of which have been for his Australian state side Victoria

Durham completed their expected victory over Gloucestershire as they closed out a 125-run win.

The Division Two leaders' fourth win in six games this season lifts them 29 points clear of second-placed Sussex.

They drew with Glamorgan, who are 10 points further back, along with Worcestershire.

Australia opener Marcus Harris carried his bat for 122, but his valiant efforts only served to highlight the batting frailties of his team-mates in a badly injury-hit side. And it could not prevent Durham completing their first win in Bristol, their only previous away win over Gloucestershire having come at Cheltenham College.

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel took three of the four final-day wickets to fall, to earn a second five-wicket haul of the match - completing the fifth 10-wicket match haul of his career.

England paceman Matty Potts took the other wicket to finish with match figures of 6-95.

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel enjoyed five-fers in both innings to earn the fifth 10-wicket match haul of his career

At 181-6 at the start of play, the hosts still required an unlikely 245 to win.

Matt Taylor helped Harris add 21 to the total, but with his score on 12, he missed a defensive prod and was pinned lbw by Patel.

But Harris carried on to reach three figures off 163 balls, advancing down the pitch to hit Patel over mid-on for his 13th boundary, to complete his fifth century for Gloucestershire.

Josh Shaw provided solid support, going past his previous best first-class score of 42, but he had added only two more when he was snapped up by Potts at slip off a Patel delivery that turned from outside leg stump.

Zaman Akhter lasted only four deliveries before being bowled by Potts and Ajeet Singh-Dale hit a couple of defiant boundaries before being last man out, caught at cover.

Durham and Gloucestershire now have a three-week break from the County Championship as they head into T20 Blast action.

Gloucestershire start on Wednesday with a long trek to Canterbury to face Kent. Durham start on Friday with a trip to Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

Gloucestershire head coach Dale Benkenstein:

"We know we are a strong team when at full strength, but take five players out of any side and they won't be the same force.

"We could have played a couple of our injured players in this game, but didn't want to risk losing them for six weeks.

"David Payne is back bowling again and should be available for the start of our T20 campaign. Things are not so clear about Marchant de Lange, Graeme van Buuren and the Price brothers.

"The result was a fair reflection of the game. We had our chances in their first innings, but a couple of decisions went against us and we dropped some catches."

Durham head coach Ryan Campbell:

"I impressed on Marcus North (director of cricket) the importance of adding a quality spinner to our ranks and Ajaz Patel has been brilliant for us.

"We had to work to bowl Gloucestershire out twice. It was hard graft for both teams over the four days and we owed a lot to a great innings from Graham Clark, together with our lower order, in the first innings.

"On that pitch, we felt that decent first innings runs would put us in with a good chance and so it proved. We are getting to where we want to be as a team and everyone has been impressed with the way we have gone about things this season.

"Durham cricket on top of a ladder is a pretty good thing to see. Our batters have embraced that attitude and even Alex Lees, who hasn't yet made the mountain of runs we expect from him, has picked up the baton over how we want to play."