CAPTAIN Cameron Bancroft led the way with a century as Durham turned their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire on its head.

Bancroft’s century, his second of the season in the championship, came as part of an impressive opening partnership of 187 with Alex Lees, their biggest of the summer, and came after the visitors had bowled Leicestershire out for 212, conceding a first innings deficit of 95.

Bancroft hit 13 fours in going to his hundred off 134 deliveries before being dismissed by Will Davis, losing his middle stump to a delivery which seamed back and stayed a touch low. Even so, Durham finished the day leading by 96, with nine second innings wickets in hand.

Resuming on their overnight score of 124-4, and looking to extend their first innings lead into three figures, Leicestershire quickly lost Harry Dearden, who had added just four to his tally when he edged Chris Rushworth to Bancroft at second slip.

Lewis Hill had made only eight when he was leg before to a delivery from Ben Raine which both seamed back in and kept a little low, and there was a first first-class wicket for debutant left-arm seamer Jack Campbell when Gavin Griffiths edged a delivery pushed across him low to Bancroft, again at second slip.

Ackermann, playing with unaccustomed deliberation, pulled Campbell to the midwicket boundary to reach his 50, but Rushworth quickly cleaned up the long tail, pinning Chris Wright leg before, getting Davis caught behind and then bowling Mohammad Abbas to leave Ackermann unbeaten on 62. Rushworth finished with 5-55 and Raine 4-49.