Worcestershire 213 (Fell 44, Leach 42*, Rushworth 5-56) and 60 for 0 need another 363 runs to beat Durham 246 (Lees 99, Tongue 5-39) and 389 for 5 dec (Young 103, Burnham 102*)
Durham require 10 wickets on the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Worcestershire after centuries from Will Young and Jack Burnham handed the visitors a daunting fourth-innings chase.
Young provided the foundation with his second century of the season in his final game for the home side. Burnham upped the ante late in the afternoon and notched his first hundred since May 2016. Ned Eckersley also provided a brisk knock of 86 from 57 balls, including six sixes.
Worcestershire's openers faced a tough final hour, but Daryl Mitchell and Jake Libby remained unbeaten at the close after putting on a stand of 60, although their side require another 363 runs to pull off an unlikely victory at Emirates Riverside.
Durham added only three runs to their overnight total before Joe Leach found Scott Borthwick's outside edge. Young held firm and worked his way his past fifty, reaching the milestone from 128 balls. He and David Bedingham put on a stand of 69 for the third wicket, but the latter played a loose drive before lunch to a Josh Tongue delivery and was caught behind.
Young picked his moments to grind down the Worcestershire attack, while Burnham provided ample support, allowing Durham to post their third fifty partnership in succession. The New Zealander attempted to bring up his century by pulling Ed Barnard over the rope, only to be put down by Charlie Morris on the square leg boundary.
Young made the most of his opportunity and reached his second century of the season with a crisp on-drive down the ground that travelled to the fence. He failed to add to his score after passing three figures, leaving an inswinger from Tongue that struck his back pad. Durham pressed on through Burnham, who produced a great array of strokes around the wicket. The right-hander put the Worcestershire bowlers to the sword after easing past fifty.
Eckersley proved more than a useful foil at the other end, allowing the home side to accelerate courtesy of a century stand. He smashed a six to reach his half-century before a glut of further sixes followed, sending four over the rope in one Brett D'Oliveira over.
Eckersley was caught on the fence after his onslaught before Burnham, who endured a struggle in the nineties, finally reached his ton, ending a five-year drought. The milestone prompted Borthwick to declare with a lead of 422. However, Durham were denied a breakthrough in the final hour as Mitchell and Libby were solid, leaving the visitors unscathed at the close.
