DURHAM are heading for their first championship defeat by Warwickshire since 2006. There have been two draws since then and seven Durham wins, mostly by big margins, as in last year’s double.

They were 124 for six in their second innings at tea, only 20 ahead, with their last chance of turning the game around having apparently disappeared when Phil Mustard got carried away.

An innings defeat loomed when he went in at 58 for five, but he dominated a stand of 59 with Dale Benkenstein before departing for 45, made off 52 balls.

By recent standards it was a pleasant afternoon and with Keith Barker out of the attack batting was relatively straightforward.

Mustard had taken a liking to the off spin of Jeetan Patel with a series of perfectly-timed sweeps and reverse sweeps.

But when he advanced to drive the same bowler he hit the ball straight into the hands of deep mid-off.

The weather has prevented Durham from gaining any momentum and they are also being reminded that when you’re down you constantly get kicked in the teeth.

The absence of luck which bedevilled Graham Onions this morning continued with the bizarre run out of Paul Collingwood.

A ball from Rikki Clarke struck him on the pad and ran off in the direction of leg slip. Collingwood set off for a leg bye and was rightly sent back by Dale Benkenstein, only to slip as he turned. Wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose’s shy hit the stumps with Collingwood flat out and his outstretched bat several inches short of the line.

The rest of the top four all fell to the left-arm swing of Barker. Will Smith shaped to drive an in-swinger and was bowled off bat and pad for one.

The ball trickled on to the stumps, whereas Michael Di Venuto’s off pole was sent flying by one which went straight on when he was in two minds whether to play at it.

Two edges by Ben Stokes narrowly eluded the slips and brought him five runs before he drove a four through mid-off and was then turned round by the next ball. He was shaping to play to leg, but was caught at gully.

Barker failed to hang on to a sharp return chance offered by Benkenstein on two and finally rested with three for 27 from 11 overs.

The much gentler swingers of Darren Maddy meant batting instantly became easier, but Ian Blackwell is so out of touch he played round one which wobbled into his pads and had him lbw for nine.

Benkenstein was unbeaten on 30 at tea with Scott Borthwick on five.