Opener Chris Nash and first-innings centurion Andrew Hodd fought a rearguard battle after tea to ensure Sussex drew their LV County Championship match against champions Durham at Hove today.

The county were in danger of a second defeat of the season when Liam Plunkett dismissed Rory Hamilton-Brown (12) and Luke Wright (4) in 15 balls after tea on the final day to reduce Sussex to 109-5 with 32 overs still available.

But Nash and Hodd put on an unbroken stand of 60 in 26 overs for the sixth wicket before the players shook hands with six overs remaining.

Nash was 85 not out - his first half-century of the season - from 149 balls with 11 fours while Hodd added to his first-innings 101 with 21 not out.

Both sides take 11 points.

Sussex had been set 317 to win in 56 overs and showed their intent by scoring 72 of their first 105 runs in boundaries.

But they kept losing wickets. Skipper Mike Yardy carved Steve Harmison to gully in the third over and Ed Joyce lost his off stump to an inswinger from Callum Thorp in the sixth to leave them 16-2.

Nash and Murray Goodwin added 55 in 13 overs for the third wicket but Goodwin was trapped in front by Mitchell Claydon for 21 just before tea.

Plunkett's double strike put Durham in the driving seat but Nash and Hodd got their heads down.

Earlier, Durham's Gordon Muchall scored his first Championship hundred for more than three years before Durham declared on 299-4, a lead of 316.

Muchall crawled along for the first hour when he added just a single to his overnight 51 as Michael Di Venuto played most of the aggressive shots on his way to a century against his former county.

The Australian left-hander, who began his English county career a decade ago at Hove, added 28 to his overnight 75 to lodge his second Championship hundred in four innings before he was caught behind off Robin Martin-Jenkins for 103, made off 211 balls with 12 fours.

Dale Benkenstein, who made 136 in the first innings, cut Wright's second ball of the day to backward point but Muchall and Ian Blackwell added 88 in 20 overs before the declaration 20 minutes after lunch.

Muchall's unbeaten 106 came off 190 balls with 11 fours and a straight six off Nash which took him to his first hundred since he made 102 against Lancashire at the Riverside in April 2006.