DURHAM put their recent batting woes behind them with four half-centuries as they coasted to a six-wicket win against Nottinghamshire at Chester-le-Street.

The pitch flattened after yielding 18 wickets the previous day as Durham reached 262 for four, just as they had when batting last at home to Sussex two weeks earlier.

Things certainly went their way. Two slip catches were missed, another was half-heartedly claimed but rejected, inside edges just missed the stumps and numerous lbw appeals were turned down after 12 were given on the first two days.

Nightwatchman Mark Wood made 66, Keaton Jennings 61, Scott Borthwick 51 and Michael Richardson 51 not out.

With 21 needed after tea, Calum MacLeod rushed Durham home, pulling Samit Patel for six on his way to an unbeaten 21 after making nought in his previous two innings.

Little got past the bat in the morning session, in which Durham lost 14 minutes to a shower but still added 92 without losing a wicket.

Jennings might have reflected that he had been in the same position at Lord's eight days earlier, when partnered by another nightwatchman, Chris Rushworth, who survived for 100 minutes before his exit sparked Durham's troubles. They lost 16 wickets for 136 runs in that match, followed by their first innings 163 here.

But any prospect of another calamity swiftly receded after Jennings, resuming on seven out of 15 for one, hit three fours off Vernon Philander in the day's first over. He clipped the first ball in front of square leg, cut the second and off-drove the fifth.

Wood quickly showed he hasn't lost the batting prowess which produced his previous best of 58 not out at Trent Bridge two years ago. That was his only previous half-century and last year he had a top score of 20 not out in 11 innings.

He enjoyed a few slices of fortune, including an edge over the slips off Philander which brought his first runs of the day.

The only real chance of a breakthrough came eight minutes before lunch. Wood, on 32, edged Steve Mullaney low to Patel at second slip. Patel grabbed the ball at ground level and threw it up in celebration, but there was no argument when Wood stood his ground and was given not out.

Patel came on for the last over before the break and Jennings drove his first ball wide of mid-on for his eighth four to reach 50 off 102 balls. He then took a single before Wood pulled a six and inside edged a four as 15 came off the over.

The stand was worth 116 when left-hander Jennings was turned round by an away swinger from Luke Wood, which flew off the edge to Mullaney at gully.

Mark Wood cut Brett Hutton for his seventh four to complete an 89-ball half-century but was cut down by a ball from Harry Gurney which moved in sharply to splatter the stumps.

With victory in sight, Borthwick and Richardson took a positive approach in a stand of 86 in 15 overs. Borthwick, on 20, survived a chance low to Brendan Taylor's right hand at first slip off Gurney and went on to make a fluent 51 before he was lbw trying to sweep the first ball of Patel's second over.

The day's third shower prompted an early tea, but with Patel staying on MacLeod made short work of knocking off the runs, which should stand him in good stead for the first Twenty20 match at home to Northamptonshire on Friday.

Nottinghamshire's Director of Cricket, Mick Newell, said: “There wasn't much swing but there was still a bit of movement off the seam. We beat the bat a bit but from a slightly shorter length than is needed here. It's not a difficult ground to bowl on.

“If you have a first innings lead of 83 here and then lose you have probably bowled pretty poorly.”