and although they missed Paul Collingwood for two of them and Steve Harmison and Mike Hussey for all three, due to international duties, they won one and drew two to stretch their unbeaten run to eight - keeping them 21 points ahead of second-placed Worcestershire when the teams broke off to play Twenty20 cricket. There were also two National League matches - Durham beat Derbyshire to get revenge for the C&G Trophy loss a month earlier, which gave them a six-point lead, but in the last match before the summer break Sussex Sharks beat them by seven wickets, to close the gap to two points. The Sharks also had two games in hand over Durham. County Championship: Worcestershire v Durham (1–4 June) Worcestershire (9pts) drew with Durham (9pts) The first day at Worcester was washed out by rain. Durham batted to 256 when they finally got a chance to bat on the second day, but more rain cut 35 overs off Worcestershire's innings, and Worcestershire were 226 for 7 at close on the third day. This was confirmed with the innings closing at 267 all out - Ben Smith making 123, while Ashley Noffke took four wickets - and Durham chose not to chase a victory, declaring on 180 for 2 with Paul Collingwood on 103 not out when stumps were drawn on the final day. (Cricinfo scorecard) County Championship: Durham v Essex (9–11 June) Durham (22pts) beat Essex (3pts) by an innings and 19 runs Durham continued their run of unbeaten matches in the 2005 season by defeating Essex in just three days at Chester-le-Street. Durham batted first, and made a total of 505 in the first innings, with Gordon Muchall and stand-in captain Dale Benkenstein both making centuries and ten batsmen made it into double figures. The Durham bowlers then backed up the batsmen's efforts by seeing off the Essex batsmen in just 55 overs to leave them all out for 106, Ashley Noffke and Mark Davies taking four wickets each. Essex followed on 399 behind, and were 140 for 6 after three wickets from Davies, despite nightwatchman Dale Steyn making 82. However, number nine Andre Adams made 103, James Foster added 78, and Essex made it to 366 for 7 - before Davies grabbed two wickets, and Neil Killeen dismissed Foster to give Durham an innings win despite lacking internationals Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison and Mike Hussey.