THE nerveless Nicky Peng came through a searching examination yesterday and Martin Speight produced his biggest innings for two years to save Durham from defeat.

Durham finished on 284 for eight against Warwickshire at the Riverside, with Speight showing great fortitude to remain unbeaten on 67, made off 176 balls.

Speight, who made only one half century last season and had a top score of 36 in previous championship innings this season, dug in studiously and found a useful ally in his former Sussex colleague Nicky Phillips, who survived for 13 of the last 14 overs.

Needing 404 to win, Durham were in trouble at 119 for four when Speight joined Peng in a stand of 107.

Although he had to take evasive action against more short-pitched bowling than he has faced before, Peng continued to play his natural game in making 70.

Although he needs to improve his fielding, he must already be a candidate for England's 2003 World Cup squad, and he again showed that he is just as adept at the four-day game.

He was not without luck, surviving three sharp chances and being caught off a no-ball, but his innings went a long way towards saving Durham, who were watched by former skipper David Boon following his appearance in an England v Australia golden oldies match at Trent Bridge.

Coach Martyn Moxon said: "There was an outstanding hour and a half's cricket when they were not holding back. Nicky took it on the chin and counter-attacked whenever he could.

"When he gets to a higher level he is going to come across more of that sort of thing and it will stand him in good stead.

"We produced an outstanding effort today, but we need to bat like that in the first innings so we are not chasing such big totals."

He added tongue-in-cheek: "It would help if the captain could win the toss."

Fortune did not favour Warwickshire as Melvyn Betts bowled a superb spell without reward after lunch then Vasbert Drakes gave Peng a real working over.

Rattled by the way Peng hooked him in front of square for four, Drakes peppered the youngster with a series of short balls.

On 23 he was missed by Michael Powell at short leg and after adding two more he edged successive balls from Drakes to third slip. David Hemp, diving to his right, dropped the first then comfortably caught the next as the cry of no-ball rang out.

Peng remained totally unfazed by all this and when Drakes finally pitched one up it was driven through the covers for four.

The West Indian bowled 12 overs at the start following further consultations between the umpires and Lord's.

When Durham faced seven overs the previous evening he had not been allowed to bowl and it was suggested that he couldn't come on until the final 30 overs because of the time he had spent off the field following his knee injury.

But another look at the regulations produced a change of heart.

Although he often found the edge, conceding most of his runs to third man, Drakes' only success came when he had Jon Lewis caught behind for 32.

The skipper had put on 49 for the second wicket with Martin Love and was beginning to rekindle memories of his match-winning stand with the Australian against Nottinghamshire.

But his exit put an end to any remote chance of a Durham victory as Paul Collingwood had to concentrate on survival when Betts produced a six-over spell after lunch as good as anything likely to be seen in the second division.

There were two huge appeals for caught behind and one for lbw, but umpire Allan Jones gave nothing all match. He again remained unmoved when Drakes had a big appeal for lbw against Speight on 55.

Betts conceded only four runs in those six overs and the pressure he created probably earned the wickets of Collingwood and Love for off-spinner Neil Smith.

Both were caught at slip by Dominic Ostler, Collingwood trying to sweep and Love going for a repeat of a cover driven four off the previous ball which took him to 45.

The fifth wicket stand appeared to have guided Durham to safety, but Peng was yorked by Dougie Brown and four overs later the Scot also bowled Danny Law off his pads.

When Betts returned to have Andrew Pratt caught behind three wickets had gone down for 17 runs, but Drakes' lbw appeal against Speight with nine overs left was as close as the visitors came to dislodging him.