After the weather stopped play on the third day, this result had always seemed likely, but Essex tried their hardest to force a victory on the final afternoon, scoring 488 and taking a 130-run lead in the first innings.
Despite their best efforts, Durham was led by Alex Lees (48 not out) and David Bedingham (33 not out) to a 131-2 victory when play was stopped at 4:40 p.m. due to bad light. Shortly after, the teams shook hands.
The morning session’s most noteworthy moment occurred in the fifth over when Browne, against Kent in April 2023, back-cut Ben Raine to the boundary, marking his maiden century in 22 Championship innings.
