THE Durham hot dogs had no Mustard but a good supply of Onions as they closed in on an innings victory at Canterbury yesterday.

Century-making wicketkeeper Phil Mustard was absent with a dislocated finger but 23-year-old Blaydon boy Graham Onions removed any doubts about his ability to be the next top-quality seamer off the Riverside production line.

Onions' figures of three for 91 beat his previous best of three for 110 against Leicestershire at Grace Road two years ago as Kent were dismissed for 340 and followed on 235 behind.

Then he removed both openers, producing a snorter to hit Robert Key's off stump in his first over as the hosts limped to 135 for eight in their second innings.

Even without their star names, Durham looked a strong unit. A lot of the things tried by new skipper Dale Benkenstein came off, the bowlers complemented each other well and 12th man Graeme Bridge was among those to hold good catches as Kent's early resistance crumbled.

Onions has always had promise, but he seemed to go backwards last season, when in four championship appearances he took four wickets for 309 runs. In his last two games things got so bad that his figures were none for 157 in 30 overs.

Durham have worked on making his action stronger and more consistent over the winter, when he also benefited from a spell at the Indian Academy in Bombay.

A draw was beginning to look the most likely result when Kent got through the first 75 minutes with their only scare coming when Matthew Walker would have been run out had Jon Lewis hit the stumps from square leg.

They had moved easily on to 230 for two before a series of bowling changes paid instant dividends for Benkenstein.

This was in stark contrast to his own first over of the day, when Darren Stevens clipped his first ball sweetly to the mid-wicket boundary to reach 50 then drove the next ball for a straight four.

Benkenstein decided to switch ends, bringing on Gareth Breese, who made the breakthrough with his fourth ball.

Perhaps feeling safe with Jimmy Maher behind the stumps, Walker went down the pitch to a ball which turned past the chunky left-hander's outside edge.

Maher, who has kept wicket for Australia in one-day internationals, expertly whipped off the bails and barely put a foot wrong for the rest of the day.

He should not be required to stand in for long. Mustard suffered his injury in the warm-up on Thursday before completing his century and keeping wicket for two sessions.

Because of the soreness yesterday he went for an X-ray, and Durham were relieved to find there was no break. As well as the dislocation there is some ligament damage, but it is hoped that both he and Australian seamer Mick Lewis will be fit to face Lancashire in the four-day match against Lancashire starting at Riverside on Wednesday.

Durham won their first four matches last season without a spinner taking a wicket, so this was a welcome strike from Breese.

Benkenstein went on at the other end for the next over and Stevens, shaping to drive through mid-on, miscued low to mid-wicket, where Gary Pratt took a good catch.

Four overs later the new ball was taken and Onions came on for his first bowl of the day. His second ball was something similar to the one which later removed Key and was too good for Neil Dexter as it took out his off stump.

After watching four balls from Onions pass harmlessly by wide of off stump left-handed wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien carelessly slapped the next one to Pratt at backward point.

Martin van Jaarsveld, who retired on 37 when his hamstring cramped up on Thursday, again looked very secure after returning on Walker's exit.

He seemed to have found a durably ally in Min Patel but he fell for 19 straight after lunch, well taken by Bridge at gully.

Van Jaarsveld finally went for 83 when he shaped to cut Ottis Gibson but extra bounce found the edge and Breese held the catch at first slip.

That was Gibson's first wicket for Durham but he added a second when he trapped last man Robbie Joseph on the crease after Simon Cook surrendered to the worst shot of the day.

He had made 27 quite competently when he lobbed a soft catch off Callum Thorp to mid-off from a cross-batted swipe.

Kent were all out just after 3pm and once the follow-on had been enforced and Onions quickly uprooted Key, Kent appeared to have little appetite for the fight.

Van Jaarsveld again provided the main resistance, but on 37 he drove Gibson to Benkenstein, who had positioned himself for the shot at short mid-on and clung on brilliantly.

Among all the mayhem, it seemed only the luckless Neil Killeen would go unrewarded. His only wicket had been the first one on Thursday, despite often beating the bat and being the most economical of the bowlers in the first innings, conceding only 63 runs in 30 overs.

But he returned just before 6.30 to take the eighth wicket when he had Cook lbw.

Durham would have had the option of claiming an extra half hour to complete the job, but with four overs of the day's allocation remaining bad light ended play.

After a day of very pleasant weather it was the first interruption of the match and with the forecast again OK for today Durham should wrap up their first championship win on Kent soil.

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