TOM Latham and Cameron Steel batted through the morning to take Durham to 120-1 in reply to Sussex's 346 at Chester-le-Street.
Despite increasing cloud cover after a sunny start, they coped comfortably with Sussex's rookie pacemen, although Stuart Whittingham looked unlucky not to have Latham lbw on 37.
With Jofra Archer rested, left-armer George Garton was also given another outing but conceded 34 in six overs.
Chris Jordan ran in strongly at the outset and troubled Latham a few times before the New Zealand left-hander began to strike boundaries with effortless ease.
Having reached 50 off 92 balls with seven fours, he was almost bowled round his legs by the first ball when Ollie Robinson switched from seam to off spin three overs before lunch.
Latham then cut the fourth ball into the hands of Jordan at slip, but the chance went down and he was on 60 at lunch with Steel on 43.
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