County Championship: Leicestershire and Durham draw as Foxes hold on

Peter Handscomb has now scored 640 runs for Leicestershire in this season's County Championship

A magnificent unbeaten century by Peter Handscomb led a successful rearguard action as Leicestershire secured a draw with Division Two leaders Durham in the County Championship.

The Australian wicketkeeper-batter finished on 136 not out, his second hundred for the county, before bad light ended the contest with the visitors two wickets away from victory with 10 overs left in the match.

Durham will feel they were denied by the elements, but Leicestershire had battled through 20 overs at eight down, largely against spinners Matt Parkinson and Liam Trevaskis with fielders crowded round the bat.

But Handscomb managed the strike so well that ninth-wicket partner Ed Barnes faced only 43 balls in 71 minutes at the crease as Leicestershire ended the match on 259-8, chasing 439.

Durham had declared at 343-4 after Alex Lees (145) and David Bedingham (145 not out) had shared a 243-run stand for the third wicket, giving themselves 89 overs to take 10 wickets.

Ben Raine finished with 4-55 against his old club while Matty Potts and Parkinson collected two each.

Their efforts were ultimately in vain but the 13 points they took from the match stretched their lead at the top, with Leicestershire moving up to second.

Durham added 47 in 28 balls to the overnight total before the declaration came.

Lees could add only seven to his 138 not out before he was caught in the deep slog-sweeping Callum Parkinson, who also bowled his fellow slow left-armer Trevaskis for seven.

Some Durham supporters grumbled that batting on had used up valuable bowling time but this pitch had yielded runs at more than 4.5 per over in the opening three days and skipper Scott Borthwick would have been mindful of Leicestershire chasing down 389 to win at 4.56 per over to beat Yorkshire at Headingley in April.

But the possibility of a Leicestershire win receded almost immediately as Raine had Sol Budinger caught behind swinging before Hill edged his first delivery to slip.

By the seventh over, Leicestershire were 23-3 as Rishi Patel was caught at deep backward square off a top-edged hook as Raine took another.

Handscomb and Colin Ackermann added 61 without further loss before lunch, although the latter had enjoyed a slice of luck 31 when Bedingham put down an edge to second slip.

Potts had first-innings centurion Ackermann caught behind soon after lunch. Handscomb reached his half-century from 73 balls as he and South African Wiaan Mulder tried to keep Durham's bowlers away from a lengthy tail.

Their cause was helped by a stoppage for bad light and light rain, taking eight overs out of the game. But when they returned after an early tea Mulder was caught behind off Raine and new man Tom Scriven edged Potts to second second slip in the next over.

After Matt Parkinson entered the attack to dismiss Chris Wright, caught at slip, with his fourth ball, Leicestershire were 181-7.

It should have been 187 for eight in the leg-spinner's next over, but Callum Parkinson survived a chance to short leg.

It was only a brief reprieve, however, as Callum Parkinson was out lbw in his brother's next over.

With 26 overs still left, Leicestershire were desperate for the weather to intervene but as that threat receded it was down to Handscomb to protect his two remaining partners.

The Australian had an escape on 110 when a leading edge off Trevaskis looped just beyond the reach of Scott Borthwick at short mid-on and he survived a confident appeal for caught behind just before the light closed in for the last time.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.