RIVERSIDE (day three of four)

Durham 224 and 76-2 v Surrey 183 (M.Butcher 65, A .Brown 38; G.Onions 4-73, N.Killeen 3-40)

Lunch

Surrey's innings continued to mirror Durham's: one substantial stand in the middle of the order, the rest of the batting succumbing to good seam bowling. Having been 117 for two within sight of stumps last night, Surrey ended up all out for 183, Durham taking a handy 41-run lead and shading the bonus points by four to three.

First to go, after just one run had been added, was Usman Afzaal, an inswinging, full-length ball from Graham Onions brushing the pad and bowling him. Chris Jordan was run out after a mix-up with Alistair Brown that left both batsmen at the same end. Surrey's hopes were now with Brown, who responded with two characteristic thumps in one Onions over - a scorching off-drive for four and a pull for six.

Brown also benefited when an inside-edge was put down by Phil Mustard - a difficult chance with the 'keeper just getting his left glove on the ball. He got some consolation when Saqlain Mushtaq swung at Mark Davies and got only a thin edge.

Finally, it fell to Stephen Harmison to try and finish off the innings. If the aim was to stir up the disappointing fast bowler by going to him as a last resort it had a modest success. Harmison looked a little quicker, and more accurate, and finally got a wicket when Brown slashed high to third man, where Killeen did very well to dive forward and hold on. It was a small triumph for the veteran seam bowler, who also bagged three wickets.

Tea

An hour's play was possible after lunch before the predicted rain arrived - an hour in which Durham's 58 further runs and Surrey's two wickets more or less kept the contest in balance - albeit with a slight tilt to the home side. Michael Di Venuto had just survived an early run-out which would have been bizarre, given his first-innings dismissal in that manner. Indeed, Surrey thought he was out when his push into the off-side and somewhat unhurried canter ended with a direct hit - though the umpire's finger stayed down.

Di Venuto did not stay long, though, falling leg-before to Jimmy Ormond for 14. Saqlain Mushtaq came on relatively early but seemed to be gaining little assistance - before he beat Mark Stoneman and claimed him leg-before with a ball that hurried on a little, causing Durham to stutter at 53-2.

But Neil McKenzie began by swinging confidently to leg anything just short of a length, and when Kyle Coetzer joined in against Chris Jordan, whose pace had been so eye-catching in the first innings, the young bowler had gone for a brace of leg-side fours in each of two overs.

Coetzer also on-drove Saqlain, the ball passing more or less under the ungainly flop of Pedro Collins.

Close

No play was possible in the final session.