RIVERSIDE: Day one of four

Durham 337-6 (M Di Venuto 184 no; T Bresnan 3-51)

Lunch

Yorkshire, losing the toss, on what looked a good batting wicket, introduced into their attack 19-year-old Ben Sanderson from Sheffield. However, the news that Matthew Hoggard was on his way back from Lord's meant the young man knew his exposure to first-class cricket would probably not last a full day.

With Durham making steady progress, the debutant came on relatively early and immediately bowled a maiden over. To keep the ball around off stump was in itself a success, for Yorkshire's other bowlers were too often letting it slip down the leg side to the two left-handers, Michael Di Venuto and Mark Stoneman. Twice, the ball was too wide for Stoneman's leg glance, but instead flicked the pad and went for four leg byes. Within the hour, 20 extras were on the board.

The first ball of the match, from Darren Gough, had been the morning's best, leaving Di Venuto late and perilously close to the edge. But batting soon looked comfortable and it was a surprise when, with the stand nearing 100, Stoneman edged Tim Bresnan to third slip.

Tea

The hour after lunch was a struggle for Durham, the hour before tea a breeze. The session started with Kyle Coetzer, who is short of runs this season, extending his time without scoring to 36 balls before he got off the mark - and then, through a mis-field by Gough, the bowler, of a firmly pushed drive. Coetzer faced another five balls before a stiff-footed poke steered a Bresnan ball to second slip.

Neil McKenzie was only marginally more fluent in getting to five before he too played a poor shot, unnecessarily following a Gough out swinger and edging it to the keeper. The start of the captain, Dale Benkenstein, was also circumspect but in his case typically sound. From 141-3 in mid-afternoon, Di Venuto and Benkenstein soon picked up the pace until the former, in particular, was making free with all bowlers.

The Tasmanian survived one hard chance when, on 69, he slashed through the gully and Adam Lyth, stretching to his right, could do not more than parry the ball behind him for two runs. Di Venuto was soon racing past his 100 and, indeed, getting close to making 100 in the session. Most tellingly, he had made 140 while only 63 had come from other batsmen.

Close

The partnership ended without addition after tea, Benkenstein whacking a short ball from Anthony McGrath to short midwicket, and Phil Mustard soon followed him, fencing at a ball and edging it to the keeper. England's one-day wicketkeeper-batsman is short of runs this season and appears to be batting a little high at number six.

That means a long-looking tail, which appeared to be further exposed when Ben Harminson was given caught behind off Bresnan, making Durham's 292-6 a bit of a disappointment after their handsome position at tea of 238-3. However, Paul Wiseman, though he looks like a genuine tail-ender, played assertively for his 21 and, with Di Venuto completely untroubled, Durham's 337-6 had at least stabilised the balance between the teams.

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