County round-up: Pietersen falls for one after latest struggle to find form

Kevin Pietersen's miserable time with the bat continued yesterday when he dismissed for just one in Surrey's Second Division match against Glamorgan, which petered out into a draw.

Although the England batsman, spending time in the shires in an effort to get back in the runs, hit a century in one-day cricket for Surrey, in the Championship game at The Oval he mustered a single from 23 balls yesterday to go with his golden duck from the first innings.

Pietersen settled for a period of defence and needed 17 balls to get off the mark with a single into the leg side. But having faced 23 deliveries in 34 minutes he was clearly leg-before to James Harris trying to work a straight ball through the leg side while only half-forward.

He will play one more Championship game for Surrey against Gloucestershire in Bristol before heading back to his native South Africa to play for Durban-based Dolphins in two first-class games between 7 and 17 October.

Glamorgan's failure to win made sure that Sussex will go up as champions but Worcestershire's victory over Middlesex means the Welsh county will have to beat Derbyshire next week to make sure of going up.

Leicestershire sent Gloucestershire spinning to an emphatic 329-run defeat at Grace Road, claiming the five wickets they needed for victory in 46 overs for the addition of 80 runs. Spinners Claude Henderson and Jigar Naik took four of the wickets and 19-year-old seamer Nathan Buck sealed the win by having last man Anthony Ireland caught at slip 40 minutes before tea. Gloucestershire took only three points from the match to end their slim hopes of promotion.

In the First Division, Essex's relegation was confirmed after they could only draw with Durham at Chelmsford. Ben Harmison just failed to record what would have been only his second Championship century. He followed up his 66 in the first innings with 96 as the visitors finished on 234 for 6 after resuming the final day in pursuit of a victory target of 459.

Harmison, with fine support from Phil Mustard, denied Essex who had reduced Durham to 143 for 5, with a stand of 91 in 38 overs before both teams called it a day. Essex seemed eager to head off to Taunton for today's Clydesdale Bank semi-final.

Essex picked up eight points but they were not enough to prevent them finishing bottom of the table.