A CENTURY by Sam Hain left Durham chasing a big target in the Royal London Cup tie against Warwickshire at South Northumberland.

Put in by Paul Collingwood, the visitors reached 292 for seven in their 50 overs with Tim Ambrose sharing a third-wicket stand of 143 with Hain.

Ambrose his two sixes in making 86 off 89 balls then Laurie Evans cleared the rope three times at the Gosforth ground in a quickfire 30.

He drove Usman Arshad over the sightscreen, otherwise the youngster bowled impressively at the death, finishing with three wickets.

Hain has looked a class player in the last two years agianst Durham, but has had more success in one-day than four-day cricket this season.

He relied largely on orthodox strokes in scoring his runs off 115 balls before he played on in the 42nd when trying to run Keaton Jennings to third man.

Ambrose then miscued a drive off Arshad to extra cover in the 46th over, which cost only two runs.

Durham handed a competitive senior debut to Stuart Poynter and gave him the wicketkeeping duties, although Michael Richardson was retained to the exclusion of Gordon Muchall.

Poynter took the catches which brought the only two wickets to fall in the first 41 overs, Will Porterfield falling to Chris Rushworth in the third.

Ian Bell was soon showing his class with some elegant cover drives as he contributed 31 to a stand of 72 with Hain.

But Bell's first attempt at a big hit brought his downfall when he edged the first ball of Scott Borthwick's second over, the leg-spinner having come on at 69 for one after 15.

Hain's drive off Usman Arshad just eluded Collingwood's dive at mid-off to give him his eighth four and take him to 50 off 57 balls.

Warwickshire ticked along to 134 after 28 overs before Durham turned to Ryan Pringle and Hain nonchalantly ran his second ball to the third man boundary.

Then in the next over Ambrose, on 25, lifted Borthwick over long-on for six to confirm that the acceleration was underway.