THEY weren't exactly six of the best, but the first six-wicket haul of Stephen Harmison's career brought a request from the Press to speak to him yesterday.

He declined, apparently on the grounds that he had been slated in one of the morning's papers. Apart from my observation that he had failed to get enough balls in the right area to apply pressure, there had been no comment.

It could have been a picture caption in a rival newspaper which upset him as it noted that he had been hit for 18 in one over.

Harmison had taken one for 80 in 22 overs on Wednesday. There were no words such as rubbish, garbage or balderdash. Just a succinct summary of the facts surrounding a bowler who is of national interest after his pace propelled him into the England squad last season.

He's still only 22, so we can't be too critical. On the other hand, if mild criticism motivates him, as it appears to have done twice this season, then it serves a purpose.

I suggested after his first day performance against Nottinghamshire that a spell in the seconds might help and he promptly roared in to take his first five-wicket haul for two years.

A spell of four for two in 14 balls yesterday helped to reduce Sussex from 434 for five to 442 all out, to which Durham replied with 166 for one, skipper Jon Lewis making 83 not out.

Apart from edging James Kirtley between keeper and first slip on 29, Lewis was rarely troubled as he put on 77 with Michael Gough and an unbroken 89 with Martin Love.

Harmison has been at his most accurate recently bowling round the wicket to left-handers and that was the case when he bowled to Umer Rashid yesterday after play began 50 minutes late on a day more suited to March than July.

When he stayed round the wicket to Richard Montgomerie in the tenth over of the day and posted Paul Collingwood between second slip and gully he immediately had the opener caught for 156.

Several of the 22 runs Montgomerie added to his overnight score had come streakily through the previously vacant gully area and when the catch came Collingwood clung on well, low to his left.

Although he beat wicketkeeper Matthew Prior three times in one over, there was no further luck in that spell for Harmison.

Under heavy cloud, batting had looked more difficult than on Wednesday, but Rashid suddenly began to find the middle of the bat.

So nearly run out on one, Rashid had moved on from his overnight 56 to 77 when Danny Law replaced Harmison to bowl downwind.

Rashid pulled and cover drove two fours either side of a big lbw appeal, and in Law's next over he pulled his second six.

The introduction of Graeme Bridge brought a drive through mid-off for Rashid's 13th four to bring up the second century of his career off 177 balls.

Harmison had him caught by Andrew Pratt for 106, four short of his career-best, to spark his spell of four for two.

Prior cut him to Gough at gully, Kirtley edged the next ball to Pratt and after Mark Robinson played and missed at the hat-trick ball Mark Davis chopped on two overs later.

The fact that such a notorious rabbit as Robinson was batting at ten, ahead of Jason Lewry, suggested a seventh wicket was as good as in the bag for Harmison. But Robinson spoilt the fun by getting himself run out.

Despite the collapse, Sussex's total was the highest at the Riverside since Glamorgan made 486 three years ago in a match in which Melvyn Betts opened the bowling with Steve Lugsden and broke down after four balls.

It was also in the 1998 season that Harmison took his previous career-best of five for 70 against Gloucestershire at the Riverside.

Sussex opened up with left-armer Lewry, who has taken 40 championship wickets this season, bowling downwind.

As he relies very much on swing he might have done better at the other end, with James Kirtley, who likes to charge in, having the benefit of the elements.

Later given a second spell, again downwind, Lewry was annoyed when Lewis cut him uppishly for one of his 14 fours and followed up with an over in which everything was peevishly pitched halfway down the track.

Gough fell for 29 when he got a slight leading edge to give Kirtley a return catch when looking to play through mid-on.

There was a late scare when Robinson found the edge of Love's bat during a probing spell downwind. But the chance fell just short of first slip and Love remained unbeaten on 35