TRENT BRIDGE

Day three of four (Durham won toss)

Durham 266 and 72 for 2 (M D Stoneman, 34 not out, S C J Broad 2 for 11); Nottinghamshire 268 (B M Shafayat 100, G P Swann 37, M A Ealham 33, S J Harmison 3 for 57, C D Thorp 3 for 77, L E Plunkett 3 for 78).

Lunch

Bilal Shafayat completed only his second championship century for Nottinghamshire and his first since 2002 as the first division leaders made brisk early progress against Durham, who began this match 10 points behind them with a game in hand.

Shafayat, 54 overnight, was quickly under way again with three fours off Ben Harmison, who shared the attack with his brother, Steve, and needed only 67 balls, eight of which he dispatched to the boundary, to move to his hundred.

In all, he had faced 166 balls and hit 19 fours, the majority off his legs, but he was out in the next over, playing a poor shot outside off stump against Liam Plunkett to be caught behind.

Shafayat and Graeme Swann had put on 78 in 23 overs but Shafayat’s dismissal triggered a collapse, Chris Read playing on to Callum Thorp and Stuart Broad and Swann falling lbw to Plunkett and Thorp respectively.

Tea

Nottinghamshire were still 66 runs behind with only two wickets left at lunch but Durham’s hopes of taking a handy first innings lead were dashed by a ninth wicket stand of 69 between Mark Ealham and Darren Pattinson.

Ealham hit 33 off 44 balls with six fours while Pattinson, who had scored only 107 runs in his first 17 first-class innings, made 28, five short of his career-best. In the end, Steve Harmison had to take the new ball to get rid of Pattinson, who was immediately caught in the gully. Next over, Ealham lost his off stump trying to hoist Plunkett over square leg.

Durham began their second innings two runs behind with Paul Wiseman opening in place of Michael di Venuto, who had damaged a finger in the field. They had reached 33 when Wiseman was caught behind off Stuart Broad in the last over before tea.

Close

The ball was turning for Swann and the off spinner should have picked up a wicket in the second over after tea when Will Smith, who had not yet scored, offered a sharp chance to short leg but Shafayat put it down.

The miss did not prove costly. Smith had scored only six when he offered no stroke to a ball from Broad that hit his off stump.

Durham were still only 43 ahead but the situation was made for Shivnarine Chanderpaul who faced 75 balls for seven runs and, with Mark Stoneman, increased the lead to 70 with eight wickets in hand.