DURHAM rubbed Yorkshire’s noses deep into the Headingley dust today and by tea they were the only side with a chance of winning.

After being set a target of 287 in 55 overs, Yorkshire slipped from 47 without loss to 63 for three with Ian Blackwell’s left-arm spin causing far more problems than Adil Rashid’s leg-spin had in the morning.

Blackwell had key man Jacques Rudolph caught at slip for 39 just before tea by Liam Plunkett, who took the first two wickets to continue his excellent day.

Plunkett and Phil Mustard put on 147 to beat by four Durham’s record eighth-wicket stand, which the same pair set on the same ground last year.

They added 107 in the morning session to take the score to 395 for seven and ruin the dispirited hosts’ chances of ending their run of 18 championship games without a win.

Yorkshire were not helped by the absence of Ajmal Shahzad, who had had a good game but suffered a hamstring strain for the second time this season.

There was little life in the pitch and increasingly less in Yorkshire, who saw Durham’s total reach 350 courtesy of a dreadful ball from Tim Bresnan. It was short and so wide down the leg side that it gave wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow no chance of reaching it.

Shortly afterwards Bresnan conceded two runs by misfielding at mid-wicket and as Mustard had just been dropped at slip by Rudolph it was clear that Yorkshire’s heads were dropping.

Mustard was very restrained as he and Plunkett settled in against the bowling of Matthew Hoggard and Rashid. But the wicketkeeper later reverse swept Rashid for two fours then lifted a slower ball from Rana Naved just short of the mid-wicket rope to reach 50 off 101 balls.

He was on 55 when he was dropped off Rana and went on to make 85 before both batsmen surrendered in pursuit of quick runs just before the declaration came on 421 for nine.

Mustard gave Bresnan a return catch and Plunkett, who played immaculately straight, drove Rana Naved to deep mid-off after making 65.

The Yorkshire openers appeared in little trouble on the flat pitch until Plunkett replaced Steve Harmison and had Joe Sayers caught at mid-wicket by Mark Stoneman.

Plunkett then had Anthony McGrath lbw on the front foot for a duck, ending any remote prospect of Yorkshire chasing the target.