DURHAM coach Martyn Moxon has no argument with 18-year-old Nicky Peng becoming a target for short-pitched bowling.

Peng retired hurt after being hit just below the back of the helmet by a ball from Hampshire's Neil Johnson on Friday and was off the field on Saturday suffering from mild concussion.

But he batted at No 5 yesterday and was out fifth ball for nought as Durham were stymied by the weather and slumped to 21 for four in their second innings in the first of three short sessions of play.

There was then a remarkable transformation as Martin Love and Danny Law took them to 87 for four at the close, 98 ahead with a day left.

"Nicky's not 100 per cent, but he felt OK to go out there and he's strong enough to deal with it," said Moxon.

"He was hit by a quick ball which followed him. It doesn't overly concern me because every batsman at some time has been hit on the head.

"He's a young, talented strokeplayer and there's nothing wrong with opponents getting stuck into him. The more he has to play it the better he will get. It's a professional game so I have no argument with it.

"The only time he was really peppered was by Vasbert Drakes against Warwickshire and I thought he played it well."

Word appears to have gone round since the Warwickshire match that Peng has a weakness against short bowling, with Sussex's James Kirtley greeting him with three successive bouncers.

On Friday Johnson posted two men on the leg-side boundary and invited the skied hook. Peng hit him for two fours, one off a top edge to fine leg, then a third fielder went in at deep mid-wicket and he had apparently decided to leave the short stuff alone when the fatal ball reared at him.

He went in yesterday after Durham had slipped from their overnight nine without loss to 20 for three in difficult conditions following the 2.40 start.

All three wickets went to pony-tailed Yorkshire reject Alex Morris. Jon Lewis edged a good out-swinger to the wicketkeeper, Jimmy Daley fended a ball which stood up at him to gully and Paul Collingwood drove well wide of off stump to give Adrian Aymes another catch.

James Schofield bowled four overs of rubbish from the other end, in which Daley allowed a couple of long hops to pass by, and as conditions would have favoured Dimitri Mascarenhas it was a surprise that Hampshire turned to Shaun Udal.

But in his second over the off spinner found surprising bounce with his arm ball and Peng edged it to Johnson at slip.

Law was almost bowled second ball by Udal, but after an hour's play bad light drove the players off.

On the resumption at 5pm the swing had gone, Mascarenhas bowled poorly and Law and Martin Love played some fine strokes in taking 37 runs off the first six overs.

Morris, who had three for five in seven overs in the first session, was hammered for 20 in three overs in the second.

Rain forced another break before the players returned at 6.10.