FELIX ORGAN and James Vince put on 53 to take Hampshire out of a mini-collapse and complete a Vitality County Championship stalemate with Durham which had been inescapable since Friday.

Matthew Potts – two for 19 – reminded England of his skill by removing Hampshire’s openers and added a small amount of jeopardy back into the match.

But Organ and Vince made it safe with risk-free blocking before bad light and rain brought about the inevitable result at 3.40pm.

Hampshire are still winless after five matches in 2024 but picked up 13 points to Durham’s 11, while the visitors remain undefeated since their return to Division One.

For three days, this had the feeling of a certain draw – and it would – but for a short spell in the morning Durham sensed an unlikely victory.

They lost their last two first-innings wickets – Callum Parkinson bowled after the ball rolled back onto his stumps and Peter Siddle paddled to short fine leg – either side of Ben Raine picking up his 19th first-class fifty in 95 balls.

It gave Hampshire a 71-run first-innings lead, having seen Liam Dawson and Organ bowl more overs than they ever had in an innings – 66 and 42.5 overs respectively – and were rewarded with five for 184 and four for 101. Dawson's were the third most ever in an innings by a Hampshire bowler.

With rain around and a stone-dead pitch, that felt like that, but Potts had other ideas.

The six-time capped Test fast bowler shook off his indifferent early season form to blast out Hampshire’s two openers.

Ali Orr, who had scored a splendid first-innings century – was undone by a ball in a testing area, with perhaps a little lift, to edge behind to Ollie Robinson in the third over.

Fletcha Middleton was unluckier as a good-length delivery stayed low and slipped under his bat and into his stumps. Potts’ first five-over spell returned two for eight.

With Nick Gubbins absent following the birth of his daughter – Ottilie Mae Haigh – on Sunday and a skittish start that had seen the ball replaced after the very first delivery and then at the start of the fifth over, Hampshire suddenly appeared startled.

But Organ – jumping back up the order from number eight to deputise for Gubbins – and captain Vince settled things back into the groove of the previous three days, albeit with zero intent to score runs.

Organ took 30 balls to get off the mark before tickling off his hips for a boundary, as both batters soaked up deliveries to kills as much time as possible. Organ would end up with 18 off 99 balls, and Vince 35 from 108.

Spinner Callum Parkinson remained unchanged from the Hotel End in the 37 overs bowled before bad light took the players off at 2.45pm, which proved terminal and meant only 22 wickets had fallen in the match for fewer than 1,000 runs.