PAUL COUGHLIN and Ned Eckersley shared a record-breaking stand for Durham on a rain-affected day for North Group leaders Derbyshire in the Bob Willis Trophy match at Emirates Riverside.

The pair took their seventh-wicket stand to 157 in 49 overs, a Durham record against Derbyshire, before Matt Critchley bowled Coughlin for a career-best 90 from 146 balls.

The leg-spinner then bowled Matty Potts two balls later, but Eckersley was unbeaten on 78 with Durham 337 for nine when rain arrived shortly after lunch, wiping out 57 overs from the day’s allocation.

Derbyshire would have expected to restrict Durham to a lot less when the day began but their bowling lacked intensity and the second new ball failed to trouble Coughlin and Eckersley.

Coughlin had set the tone by taking advantage of wide balls from Ben Aitchison to drive two fours, the second one taking him to his first 50 of the season and the eighth of his career from 75 balls.

A lofted drive at Ed Barnes only just cleared a leaping Billy Godleman at mid off and Eckersley survived an lbw appeal on 40 when he played across the line at Sam Connors but there were few other alarms for the pair.

Eckersley’s 50, his first of the summer, was a more sedate affair and contained only one four but it had helped shift the momentum Durham’s way after Derbyshire reduced them to 155 for six shortly after tea on day one.

The previous highest seventh wicket stand against Derbyshire of 130, which also featured Coughlin with Paul Collingwood three years ago, was comfortably passed and a century was beckoning for the all-rounder when Critchley was introduced two overs before lunch.

His third ball tempted Coughlin into a cut but he played on and Matty Potts went two balls later when Critchley turned one past his forward defensive push.

Matthew Salisbury edged Barnes to first slip in the first over after lunch but Eckersley struck the seamer for two consecutive fours before the weather had the final say.

Eckersley said: “I thought he (Paul Coughlin) changed the momentum of the game to put us in a really good position so hopefully tomorrow if the weather holds we can drive that position home.“To get up to 330 is a great position for us to be in and maybe we’ll be looking at declaring in the morning and hopefully we can put this to good use.“It’s a good cricket wicket, you can score runs and if you get the ball in the right area you can get some reward but the heavy roller hasn’t been used yet so whether that has an impact or not will be interesting.

“There is the threat of more rain around in the next couple of days so the likelihood is we need to do some bowling as quickly as possible, hopefully knock a few wickets over with the new ball and put some pressure on Derbyshire’s middle order.”

Derbyshire all-rounder Matt Critchley said: “It does feel as if the ball is coming out nicely and it’s good to get some reward. I think it helps that I’m a bit more accurate and controlling the scoreboard better so Billy (Godleman) probably has a bit more faith in me to bowl.

“Yesterday it was my job, not so much to hold an end up but try and keep the economy down and I think as you get older you look to play those roles better and the more overs you bowl obviously you’ve got more chance of taking wickets.

“I think the aim will be to bat well for as long as we can to set the game up and then if it rains and we run out of time we take as many points with a draw as we can.”

Derbyshire v Durham at the Emirates Riverside. Durham 1st innings 337 for 9 (Coughlin 90, Lees 84, Eckersley 78 not out, Critchley 4 for 53).