Durham resumed their innings on 95 for 1 after yesterday's rain effected first day at The Rose Bowl. Australian batsman Michael Di Venuto occupied the crease with captain Will Smith.

Hampshire, needing early wickets, broke the partnership in the 4th over of the day when veteran seam bowler Dominic Cork trapped Di Venuto lbw for 62, reducing Durham to 99 for 2.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul joined Smith at the crease but his innings was ended six overs later when the impressive young Hampshire spinner Danny Briggs bowled him for 4.

Briggs then picked up his third wicket of the innings when Dale Benkenstein (24) attempted to hit over the top only to be caught at cover by Liam Dawson, leaving Durham on 152 for 4.

Smith continued manoeuvring the ball around the field and in the 58th over scored his half century which included five fours.

Durham reached the lunch interval on 185 for 4 with Smith (51) and Ian Blackwell (17).

After lunch Durham passed the 200 mark in the 68th over and by doing so Smith and Blackwell moved their partnership to an unbeaten 50.

The visitors made steady progress and in the 75th over Ian Blackwell scored the 47th half century of his career in only 69 balls which included seven fours.

The Durham pair made a stand of 109 before Imran Tahir dismissed Blackwell for 56 following an inside edge onto his pad which looped to Jimmy Adams at short leg, leaving Durham on 261 for 5.

Wicketkeeper Phil Mustard joined Smith at the crease and began to accelerate the run rate. The pair put on 52 together before Mustard was caught acrobatically by Adams at short square leg off the bowling of Tahir for 35, which brought the spinner his 50th First Class wicket of the season.

At the tea interval Durham went in on 318 for 6 with Smith unbeaten on 96.

In the second over after Tea Durham Captain Smith clipped a delivery square from David Griffiths to the leg-side boundary to score his second century of the season, which came off 232 balls and included 12 fours.

The innings was a determined workman like knock as he made his way to a chanceless milestone.
Despite the slow run rate, Liam Plunkett hit a straight six off Tahir and four overs later he swept Liam Dawson for a single to bring up the 350 for Durham.

Dawson and Smith made a stand of 63 before Plunkett (37) dismissed LBW was Tahir’s third victim of the innings, leaving Durham on 376 for 7.

The Visitors scored their fourth batting point when debutant Scott Bothwick scored three runs to take the innings passed 400 in the 124th over.

In the 131st over Durham skipper Smith reached 150 off 324 balls which included 16 fours and 1 six. The next ball though Smith attempted to hook a short delivery from Griffiths only to be caught at long leg by Tahir. Smith had occupied the crease just less than six and a half hours.

The first ball of the next over saw Tahir collect his fourth wicket, as Adams caught Mark Davies at short leg leaving the overseas player with innings figures of 4 for 131.

The wicket signalled the end of the days play as Durham finished on 435 for 9.

Report by Michael Gales
 

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