Durham v Hampshire (County Championship) : Day One

JUST when it seemed Dale Benkenstein was becoming a reckless gambler the roulette wheel spun back in his favour and he cashed in with a superb century yesterday.

Choosing to bat first against Hampshire at Riverside in conditions tailor-made for Dimitri Mascarenhas looked foolhardy in the extreme when Durham were 29 for five with Ben Harmison coming to the crease.

Retaining Harmison could also be seen as a huge risk considering that his six previous championship innings this season had produced three ducks and a total of 16 runs.

But the redoubtable captain coaxed his partner into averting disaster in a stand of 156, Big Ben striking all the right notes after edging a four through the slips to pass his season's previous best of six.

Despite Mascarenhas having figures of four for five after seven overs, Durham reached 245 for seven, with Benkenstein on 112, when bad light stopped play with 18 overs to be bowled.

Harmison began with five single-figure scores last season, but then made three half-centuries and a 48 in his next six innings, including his best of 75 at home to Hampshire.

He was nine short of that yesterday when he was trapped on the crease by a quicker ball from Michael Carberry and fell lbw to the occasional off-spinner after surviving the wiles of a wicketless Shane Warne.

Harmison timed the ball very sweetly in striking seven fours across the lush outfield, which contributed to Benkenstein hitting only six boundaries in his century.

His shots would normally have been worth many more at this time of year, further underlining the value of his first century since making 103 not out at Worcester in the first match of the season. He has had five half-centuries inbetween.

After going in at 15 for three in the tenth over, Benkenstein concentrated on survival until lunch, when he was on 26 and Harmison had sped ahead to 34.

But the captain played fluently throughout the afternoon, completing his hundred off 191 balls just before tea when he cut David Griffiths for four.

Griffiths, a 21-year-old seamer from the Isle of Wight, was making his championship debut in the absence of Chris Tremlett and an overseas bowler.

Hampshire hoped to give West Indian Daren Powell his debut after signing him as a replacement for Australian Stuart Clark, but as with Durham's capture of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the deal has been delayed by the need for a work permit.

With Hampshire also bringing in Shaun Udal on a pitch unlikely to favour spin, the depleted nature of the visiting attack may have played a part in Benkenstein's decision to bat after winning the toss for the seventh time in ten games.

But Durham's inexperienced top order initially made Mascarenhas look as unplayable as he seemed in a NatWest Trophy tie in similar Riverside conditions in 2000. On that occasion he also opened the bowling and took two for 13 in ten overs as Durham were dismissed for 91, Hampshire losing five wickets in reply.

Pitches are much-improved since then, but there was bound to be moisture around and with the sky overcast there was likely to be movement both off the seam and through the air for Mascarenhas.

Given a sunny day and a flat track, his medium-paced dibbly-dobblers can be innocuous, but after seven overs yesterday he had four for five.

In his first over he swung one into left-hander Mark Stoneman, beating his forward defensive push to have him lbw for nought.

Will Smith was next to go, pushing forward and edging to wicketkeeper Nic Pothas, and the next runs came via two fours edged through the slips by Kyle Coetzer off James Bruce.

The Scot added only a single before a ball from Mascarenhas left him off the pitch and took the edge on the way to Pothas, while Scott Styris was caught off bat and pad at short leg for two.

Despite his apparent lack of form, the situation held no fears for Harmison and once he had survived his slightly streaky start he played with all the assurance he showed towards the end of last season.

Mascarenhas bowled unchanged for figures of 16-5-22-4 until Warne replaced him for the last over before lunch.

Warne bowled a further 13 overs afterwards, but he never looks as impressive at Riverside as he does at the Rose Bowl and he caught the eye more for his imaginative field placings yesterday.

When he came on for his third spell the public address man began to introduce him as "Mike" much to the crowd's amusement.

Warne himself would be more concerned about Ottis Gibson driving successive balls for six and four as he contributed 28 to a stand of 52.

Although the clouds had obligingly rolled over all day without threatening to disrupt play, the light was not good when Hampshire took the new ball at 237 for six and in the second over Gibson padded up to Bruce and was lbw.

With Liam Plunkett for company, the resolute Benkenstein added only one run in the next four overs before a halt was called.

SCORECARD

Durham v Hampshire at Riverside. Durham Won Toss

Durham First Innings Close
W R Smith c Pothas b Mascarenhas 3
M D Stoneman lbw b Mascarenhas 2
K J Coetzer c Pothas b Mascarenhas 9
S B Styris c Brown b Mascarenhas 2
D M Benkenstein not out 112
P Mustard c Warne b Griffiths 5
B W Harmison lbw b Carberry 66
O D Gibson lbw b Bruce 28
L E Plunkett not out 6
Extras (b5 lb1 w1 pens 5) 12
Total 7 wkts (86.4 overs)245
Fall: 1-2 2-5 3-15 4-22 5-29 6-185 7-237
To Bat: P J Wiseman, G Onions.
Bowling: Bruce 18.4-4-51-1. Mascarenhas 23-
8-33-4. Griffiths 16-3-43-1. Udal 9-1-21-0. Warne
17-2-73-0. Carberry 3-0-13-1.