DURHAM'S injury jinx shows no sign of easing as Michael Di Venuto tweaked a thigh muscle when in full cry yesterday.

It had a big impact on the home match against Warwickshire as wickets had just started to fall following an opening stand of 164.

Di Venuto suffered the injury in going for a single on 95 and had to send for a runner, after which he was severely restricted in his movement. He was out for 113 as Durham slipped to 230 for five at the close in reply to 429.

Durham's difficulty in snaring renowned rabbit Boyd Rankin provided a fair indication that it was a good day for bowlers to hide in their burrows.

After two wickets fell in the opening four overs only one - that of Rankin for 28 - went down in the next 67 overs.

Di Venuto capitalised on the benign afternoon conditions by scoring his 16th first-class century for Durham. But when they looked capable of racing to a first innings lead they were pegged back in a disappointing final hour.

Warwickshire's total had been significantly boosted by a last-wicket stand of 80, with Chris Woakes unbeaten on 70.

He had been troubled by Callum Thorp the previous evening, but even Ruel Brathwaite couldn't unsettle him yesterday after bowling Andrew Miller to complete his second successive five-wicket haul.

No one could have predicted pre-season that of the first three five-wicket hauls, two would be bagged by Brathwaite and one by Ben Stokes.

There were only three all season last year, two by Ian Blackwell in August, while the first didn't arrive until Steve Harmison took seven for 29 on July 1 in the 219-run home win against Warwickshire.

That was the Bears' third successive thrashing at Chester-le-Street but after winning their first two games they are not going to roll over this time.

Rikki Clarke, so often a purveyor of dross, led the fightback impressively after Durham's flying start as he conceded only 20 runs in 14 overs and had Di Venuto caught behind.

Will Smith contributed 66 to the opening stand, which bettered by six Durham's biggest for the first wicket in the championship last season, when Di Venuto and Mark Stoneman put on 158 in the second innings at home to Warwickshire.

Smith was initially the dominant partner after surviving a chance on four to Ian Westwood at short leg off Miller.

Two successive balls from Miller were then clipped to the square leg boundary and Smith pulled Woakes wide of mid-on for four and Miller over mid-wicket for six.

The 50 came up in only the 11th over, but as Smith slowed down Di Venuto twice edged Rankin over the slips for four and began to forge ahead.

He reached 50 off 71 balls, compared with 101 for Smith, who was tied down by some accurate bowling from Clarke.

Smith finally edged Woakes to second slip and the same bowler nipped one back to have Gordon Muchall lbw just before Di Venuto suffered his injury. Had those wickets not gone down he might have retired for treatment, and he probably did himself no favours by soldiering on.

As it happened it didn't help the side either as Stokes struggled for 35 balls to make five before Miller skidded one on to him to gain an lbw verdict.

Di Venuto fell six overs from the close and when Graham Onions emerged as the nightwatchman Rankin succeeded where the England paceman had failed in the morning, steep bounce having him caught at gully.

Onions' first ball of the day was a long hop, which championship debutant Paul Best pulled straight to Smith at square leg.

But either Onions was struggling for rhythm or he was unsure at what pace to bowl on another sluggish pitch as he finished with two for 106.

Rankin arrived at the crease with a best score of 13 behind him and quickly passed that with the help of a driven four off Brathwaite and four overthrows, which summed up Durham's frustration as Woakes successfully farmed the strike.

It would have made a huge difference had Warwickshire been all out for 350, but in taking a quick single to bring up that total, Woakes got the benefit of the doubt in a tight run-out decision.

Dale Benkenstein's direct hit brought a confident appeal from Durham, but Woakes went on to add 52 runs.

He has already made a century this season, at Taunton, and reached a 71-ball 50 by hitting a Scott Borthwick full toss for his seventh four.

Rankin departed for 28 to the 12th ball after lunch, edging Ian Blackwell to give Michael Richardson his fifth catch of the innings. But the wicketkeeper generally had a tough time after driving overnight on Monday from a second team game in Billericay.