DURHAM are not happy about their Riverside pitches, but the playing surfaces don't seem to hold any gremlins for the opposition once they come to terms with how slow they are.

All the Leicestershire top five passed 40 yesterday as the Foxes ran amok, as they always do against Durham, to amass 462 for seven.

There were consultations about the pitch at tea-time and Durham officials will want something done to inject more life prior to the ground staging a Test and one-day international next summer.

But the combination of the slow surface and friendly attack may have helped 23-year-old left-hander John Maunders to rescue his career at the end of a two-year contract since joining Leicestershire from Middlesex.

After making two centuries last season, poor form has seen him in and out of the team this year, but he emulated Hampshire's Dimitri Mascarenhas by passing 50 for the first time this season at Riverside and going on to three figures.

He came into the match with a top score this season of 34 and an average of 10.5 from 16 innings, but seized the opportunity presented by injuries to make 116.

He was finally bowled when driving at Liam Plunkett, who was easily the best of the Durham bowlers and was also rewarded with the wicket of Brad Hodge.

After making 262 against Durham at Grace Road six weeks ago, Hodge had the luxury of going to the crease with the score on 311 for three.

He made a sprightly 46 before edging a drive to Phil Mustard as he tried to press on even faster against the new ball after tea, despite the addition of 199 runs in the afternoon session.

With rain forecast, Hodge was probably looking to declare at 500 and have 20 minutes' bowling at Durham last night. But Plunkett's double strike stymied that, even if it did come too late to lift an otherwise toothless attack.

Neil Killeen, as ever, was out of luck, Graham Onions' struggles continued with none for 87 in 18 overs, Gavin Hamilton wasn't called on to bowl, and it was back to reality for the spinners after the dreamland of Scarborough until Gareth Breese struck twice in three balls late in the day.

Whatever they think about their pitches, Durham should at least know what to expect and ought to stand closer at slip judging by the number of edges which fell just short yesterday.

Both their championship wins have come away from home and they have also competed well at Cardiff and Trent Bridge, but they are currently on course for their fifth thrashing at home, while they also had the worst of the rain-ruined matches against Somerset and Hampshire. The only time they have had a first innings lead at Riverside was against a weakened Essex team.

Play began ten minutes late yesterday because of fog and it was also pretty grim after tea, when the cricket matched the weather as only 64 runs came from 32 overs.

Other than Maunders, Durham suffered at the hands of three Darrens, with openers Robinson and Maddy putting on 101 before being upstaged by Stevens.

He made a fairly scratchy 84 against Durham at Grace Road, but it obviously kicked him into form as he then scored a century against Hampshire and played some imperious strokes yesterday.

When he reached 53 off 37 balls with a six wide of long-on off Breese all but one of his runs had come in boundaries.

Plunkett quietened him down and he had reached 92 off 108 balls when he pushed forward and edged Graeme Bridge to Hamilton at slip.

Stevens dominated the stand of 150 in 32 overs with Maunders, who got off the mark with a streaky inside edge off Plunkett and edged him just short of first slip on 32.

Six runs came from the stroke as the ball evaded the fielders and two runs were scampered before Mustard shied at the non-striker's end and four overthrows resulted.

Maunders swept the spinners confidently and also pulled strongly, depositing the first ball of Onions' third spell beyond the crowd behind square. As 17 came off the over it was suggested Onions should be told: "That shallot."

It was an excellent ball from Plunkett which finally spreadeagled Maunders' stumps and he could have had another left-hander, John Sadler, for ten. But his edge landed just short of Marcus North at slip and he put on 49 with wicketkeeper Tom New.

Breese then claimed two more lbw victims to go with Maddy, who was trapped when he went back instead of forward to end an excellent innings of 70.

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