Rushworth a fitting deputy for Onions

After earning his place through his one-day best of five for 31 against Nottinghamshire on Sunday, he took five for 46 as Warwickshire’s championship challenge faltered at Chester-le-Street.

After an opening stand of 61 they were all out for 197, 80 behind, and Durham reached 28 for two in their second innings.

Rushworth showed he is not just a new ball swinger as he bowled superbly in each of his three spells and finally got his rewards after being out of luck in his opening burst, when he had four confident lbw appeals turned down.

Two of them looked far more likely to hit the stumps than the first ball of the day, to which Paul Collingwood was adjudged lbw.

That was the prelude to Durham losing their remaining five wickets for 49 runs and it looked like the first day’s graft might go to waste.

Rushworth, whose previous first-class best was four for 90 at Chelmsford in 2010, conceded only one run in his first six overs.

He was rested after eight and in his second spell he had no need to test the umpires’ judgement as he twice struck timber, bowling Darren Maddy off his pads before taking out Rikki Clarke’s middle stump.

Despite falling lbw first ball to Ian Blackwell in Durham’s defeat at Edgbaston, Clarke came into this match averaging 80. This time he went second ball, looking to push it towards mid-on.

It was strange that Rushworth bowled only four overs in that spell as the change took the pressure off Warwickshire when they had slipped to 90 for five.

Finding opportunities for Scott Borthwick to get the bowling he needs is a difficult problem, but his two overs before tea cost 15 runs and he could not be risked afterwards.

Borthwick could probably do with some second team cricket, batting up the order, to build his confidence.

He chipped a catch straight to mid-wicket yesterday after contributing 15 to a sprightly stand of 42 with Phil Mustard after the day’s first two wickets went down for two runs.

Collingwood played forward to the first ball, which went through to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose. It seemed the appeal had to be for caught behind and Collingwood looked nonplussed when the finger went up, but Steve Garrett indicated that he was out lbw.

Three of the last four were caught by Clarke at second slip, giving him five, equalling the record for catches by a fielder in a firstclass innings against Durham. The previous joint holders were Gregor Macmillan (Oxford University, 1994) and Michael Di Venuto when playing for Derbyshire in 2001.

Like Clarke, Di Venuto would have been fielding at second slip.

Nightwatchman Jamie Harrison steered an easy catch to Clarke, then Mustard showed little inclination to curb his natural instincts.

With the help of an edged four and a glorious cover drive he took 12 in an over from Chris Woakes to earn the second batting point.

Borthwick’s exit sparked the loss of the last three wickets in six balls. Mustard showed no faith in his cousin, Rushworth, as he went down the pitch to last ball of the over and edged a big drive straight to Clarke.

Off the first ball of the next over Rushworth edged Woakes to Clarke and after falling first ball in his last knock Steve Harmison didn’t get to face any this time.

Harrison and Rushworth opened up for Durham and Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood scored only 30 runs in the first 20 overs.

Harrison appeared to have overcome his no-ball problem, only to over-step for the first time in his tenth over. Three more swiftly followed and after reading plus one the over-rate went back to level.

This is something Durham will have to watch carefully following their unprecedented four-point deduction against Lancashire.

The breakthrough came in Steve Harmison’s second spell when left-hander Westwood slapped the second ball, a long hop, straight to Collingwood at cover.

Collingwood then returned to second slip and caught Will Porterfield, who edged an airy drive at Ben Stokes.

Chopra departed for 29 when he was caught down the leg side by Mustard off Harmison, then Rushworth’s double strike had Warwickshire rocking.

Woakes made 29 before becoming the second batsman to be strangled down the leg side, then a beauty from Stokes sent Barker’s middle pole flying.

Rushworth returned to take the last three, leaving Durham with 11 overs to bat.

They were in the sixth when Mr Garrett struck again, giving out Mark Stoneman to a big swinger from Barker which clearly started outside leg stump.

To say that it pitched in line and would still have gone on to strike timber was a brave call.

There was less doubt when Woakes got one to skid on to pin Will Smith in front.

But Harrison, acting as nightwatchman for the second successive day, survived the final three overs with Gordon Muchall.