THE revival of Durham’s title hat-trick bid slipped into reverse yesterday, when they fell further behind Nottinghamshire.

The luck involved in who is available to play against whom was underlined as Stuart Broad took full advantage of playing against division one’s weakest side.

He took eight for 52 as Warwickshire were shot out for 100 and Nottinghamshire won by ten wickets to go back to the top of the table.

In conditions generally favouring the bowlers at Chester-le-Street, Lancashire have benefited more from the availability of Jimmy Anderson than Durham have from Paul Collingwood.

Although it was Glen Chapple who removed Collingwood for 12 yesterday, Anderson bowled superbly as Durham lurched to 96 for five before rain ended play.

They still need 99 more runs to avoid the follow-on, which will be crucial in the battle to avoid defeat on the final day.

If Durham hang on for the draw they will be 39 points behind Nottinghamshire with seven games left and the one consolation yesterday was the sight of Graham Onions putting in some sprints in the outfield.

When Durham resumed on 27 for one yesterday Collingwood got off the mark by edging the fifth ball he faced for four.

When he cut Anderson to the boundary in his next over the bowler responded with two bouncers, one of which flew high over the wicketkeeper for four byes.

Collingwood then needed treatment after being struck on the wrist and after a backfoot punch to the cover boundary off Chapple the Lancashire captain snared him with a beauty.

Pitching on a perfect length on middle stump, it bounced steeply and moved away to take the edge on the way to second slip, where Tom Smith held a chest-high catch.

In the next over another excellent ball from Anderson had Michael Di Venuto caught behind and it was clear that the bowlers were revelling in conditions which had changed again after the previous afternoon’s blue skies.

Chapple then knocked out Ian Blackwell’s off stump but the drizzle which had threatened for some time drove the players off with the score on 58 for four.

Durham added 38 runs in 11.4 overs in the afternoon for the loss of Dale Benkenstein before the rain returned.

Benkenstein edged Anderson for two fours then steered him wide of the slips for another boundary, while Ben Stokes edged the England bowler at catchable height through the vacant fourth slip position.

Stokes generally looked secure, however, and surviving against such high-class bowling will have taken him a further notch up the learning curve.

Anderson and Chapple bowled unchanged for 29 overs until the captain made way for Tom Smith, who struck in his second over.

As Benkenstein had just survived a superb over from Anderson it would be fair to say that Smith reaped the benefit. Generally shaping the ball away, he got one to skid on to pin the batsman lbw for 21.

Phil Mustard drove Smith through mid-on for four and added three more runs before the rain arrived, with Stokes on 13.

Scoreboard

Durham v Lancashire At Emirates Durham ICG

Overnight: Lancashire 344 (L D Sutton 101 no, S Chanderpaul 92). Durham27-1.

Durham First Innings Close

M J Di Venuto c Sutton b Anderson ....12

P D Collingwood c Smith b Chapple ...12

D M Benkenstein lbw b Smith ..............21

I D Blackwell b Chapple ........................3

B A Stokes not out ..............................13

P Mustard not out ..................................7

Extras (b4 lb4 w1 nb8 pens 0)17

Total 5 wkts (33.1 overs)........96

Fall: 1-27 2-48 3-48 4-53 5-85 To Bat: L E Plunkett, C D Thorp, M E Claydon, S J Harmison.

Bonus Pts: Durham 3 Lancashire 3

Bowling: Anderson 17-4-56-2. Chapple 14-4-23-2. Smith 2.1-0-9-1.