PAUL Collingwood cannot have made many braver 50s than the one which steered his side out of choppy waters at Southport yesterday.

Defying obvious pain from his hand, his battling innings helped Durham to 291, a lead of 87, then he stayed off the field as Lancashire reached 59 for one in their second innings.

The delights of outground cricket, with its cheerful intimacy, always have to be balanced against the negative aspects for professional players.

Southport and Birkdale Sports Club includes hockey in its portfolio, which doesn't help the outfield, while this pitch offers more than expected bounce.

That was not good news for Collingwood, especially after splitting the webbing on his left hand an hour into his comeback from a fractured thumb.

His dive for a slip catch was in vain and after going to hospital for stitches he stayed off for the rest of the first day on Saturday.

While battling to keep his side on top yesterday he had to send for the physio on 34, then faced one of the short, sharp spells through which Jimmy Anderson has demanded inclusion for the second Test, starting at Old Trafford on Friday.

After complaining to the umpire about the new ball, Anderson got it changed anyway when Collingwood hooked him for six on to the railway line to Liverpool.

A pulled four in Anderson's next over was followed by having to fend off a throat ball, which brought more pain as the enthralling battle continued.

It suits Lancashire to play at Southport while the turf at HQ is restored to Test standard following Beyonce and Rihanna concerts, which drew a combined audience of 80,000.

The need to make money would preclude Lancashire from taking a T20 match away from Old Trafford. If they were to stage one here the leafy gardens of the executive housing fringing the ground might take a battering.

But the pitch in this match has dictated that batsmen generally have been very circumspect. Lancashire batted 70 overs for their 204, Chris Rushworth taking four for 30 in 16 overs.

Although Mark Stoneman gave Durham a swift start with 40 off 53 balls, Scott Borthwick faced 151 deliveries for his 64 and Collingwood's 50 took 101 balls.

Even Ben Stokes faced 70 balls for his 21, which included two fours in an over during his intriguing morning battle with Anderson.

Borthwick and Stokes battled diligently through a tough first hour, only for Stokes to offer a return catch off bat and pad off leg-spinner Matt Parkinson's first ball.

Left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan produced a beauty to deceive Borthwick with flight and sharp turn, hitting leg and middle, and when Michael Richardson's sprightly 28 ended with an edge behind off the last ball before lunch Durham were rocking on 169 for six.

Paul Coughlin applied himself impressively to contribute 26 to a stand of 71 before falling in the sixth over of the new ball when he shaped to drive an excellent away swinger from Jarvis which shaved his off stump.

It was tough on debut boy Adam Hickey to have to face Anderson and when both he and Collingwood edged behind three wickets had gone down for ten runs.

But with the skies suddenly clear Onions and Rushworth made batting look easy in adding 41 for the last wicket.

Onions then bowled superbly, having left-hander Tom Smith caught behind in his second over. Otherwise the ball continued to beat the bat as Haseeb Hameed and Luke Procter shared an unbroken stand of 53 under a cloudless sky.

Anderson's part in the match is now over. He will be replaced by seamer Nathan Buck, but Durham are more likely to be tested by spin.