WHAT a transformation. A game which was evenly balanced after two days swung dramatically in Durham’s favour on the third morning in overcast conditions at Riverside.

Steve Harmison and Graham Onions shared Yorkshire’s remaining four wickets for the addition of a mere eight runs, then Durham rapidly stretched their first innings lead of 90 through a superb century by Michael Di Venuto.

When he was out for 143 they continued to press on and Gordon Muchall, who was dropped on 13, completed a half-century just before the declaration on 303 for five. That left Yorkshire facing a victory target of 394 and in four overs they reached three without loss.

Di Venuto put on 204 with Will Smith after Mark Stoneman fell to the third ball of the innings. He was perilously close to lbw off the previous ball, but when Matthew Hoggard swung another one in to rap him on the pads umpire Peter Willey answered the appeal in the affirmative.

For a couple of overs it seemed the clatter of wickets might continue, but then Tim Bresnan bowled a couple of long hops which Di Venuto gratefully cut for four and the batsmen suddenly seized the initiative.

Di Venuto raced to 50, with nine fours, and after initially being content to survive skipper Smith also began to flourish. He was out for 67 when he tried to turn Adil Rashid to leg and gave him a return catch. The young leg-spinner picked up a second wicket when Di Venuto drove to mid-off.

Harmison snared left-hander Joe Sayers in the day’s third over by posting a man in an unusual position at wide leg slip, then the new ball was taken in the next over and Onions made superb use of it.

He was rewarded for his luckless efforts yesterday with the wickets of Steve Patterson, who edged to Phil Mustard, and Hoggard, who was lbw. Harmison wrapped it up when Adil Rashid top-edged a cut straight to third man.