WICKETS continued to tumble at Chester-le-Street as Nottinghamshire lost their first three with the total on seven in reply to Durham's 162. But Samit Patel and Michael Lumb took them to 36 without further loss at tea.

Conditions appeared to have eased in early afternoon, when the lights were briefly switched off and Stuart Poynter launched the entertaining counter-attack which brought him a maiden 50 off 45 balls.

By the time Luke Fletcher bowled him for 65 he had put on 58 for the last wicket with Chris Rushworth, who then bowled Jake Libby and pinned Alex Hales lbw for a five-ball duck.

Greg Smith edged Graham Onions to first slip and the same bowler looked aghast not to have Patel adjudged lbw.

But a couple of boundaries each for the fourth-wicker pair eased the pressure.

Durham lost three wickets for two runs in early afternoon, Jake Ball taking two in two when he pinned Paul Collingwood with one which nipped back then had Ryan Pringle caught behind.

Paul Coughlin edged a drive to give Harry Gurney his only wicket before Poynter followed a couple of early edges with a mixture of bold strokes and improvisation. By guiding short balls from James Pattinson over Chris Read he obliged the wicketkeeper to post a backstop.

Pattinson had Mark Wood lbw and produced a snorting yorker to flatten Onions' leg and middle stumps in finishing with three for 43.