DURHAM's struggle to maintain the superb standards achieved under Mike Hussey continued at Worcester yesterday when their previously infallible catching turned into an attack of butter-fingers.

They were lucky that Graeme Hick didn't make them pay for dropping him twice before he fell for 13, but Ben Smith took full advantage of being put down on four.

The former Leicestershire player went on to score his 34th first-class century, having made his first in Durham's inaugural championship match at Durham University in April, 1992.

Worcestershire recovered from 121 for seven to reach 226 for seven, 30 behind, as the problem of the ball starting to go soft around the 45-over mark surfaced again.

Prior to that batting has been difficult for both sides in this match, and had Durham taken their chances yesterday they may well have run through their opponents while the ball was still hard.

That would have given them a chance of their fifth championship win, but with a further 41 overs lost to rain yesterday following the first day's washout it is now difficult to envisage a result.

Durham's slip catching this season has been red-hot, but Paul Collingwood missed Hick and Smith at first slip, while two chances also escaped Jon Lewis.

The first, offered by Hick, should have been taken at mid-wicket, but the second he probably barely saw at extra cover as a full-blooded drive by Chaminda Vaas scorched through his hands.

The Sri Lankan has been a wholehearted, committed performer for Worcestershire, and it will be interesting to see if they get the same dedication from his replacement, Shoaib Akhtar.

Vaas has contributed 43 to the unbroken stand of 105 and was playing as freely as his partner when ed 450 minutes also having been lost.

In the opening over nightwatchman James Pipe edged Ashley Noffke just wide of Collingwood for four and Noffke was the sufferer when Hick was first dropped.

The next two misses were off Liam Plunkett after he had made the breakthrough by moving a full-length ball away to have Stephen Moore well caught by a diving Phil Mustard.

The slip catching returned to normal courtesy of the cordon's third member, Gareth Breese, who pouched Pipe off Noffke then saw off Hick in Mark Davies's second over.

Hick played back defensively and saw a thick edge fly straight to Breese, and when Davies had Vikram Solanki well taken by Collingwood in the last over before lunch he had two for one in 17 balls.

It was not a good shot by the home captain, who joins Collingwood in the England one-day squad next week, as he thrust at a ball wide of off stump.

But Davies continued to bowl well and had South African Zander de Bruyn lbw in the sixth over after lunch.

Another England one-day man, Kabir Ali, was lbw playing across a Collingwood swinger to bring in Vaas in the 42nd over.

Vaas has made three first-class hundreds in Sri Lankan domestic cricket and played himself in carefully yesterday. The half chance he offered to Lewis off Davies on ten was virtually his first real attacking stroke, but there were plenty more as he hit seven fours in his unbeaten 43.

Smith's innings was even-paced, taking 88 balls for his 50 and 165 for his 100, but while he was beaten several times early on he didn't look like being shifted after lunch.

A fair percentage of his 16 fours were off the back foot and he reached his century off the last ball before tea with a cut for two off Plunkett.

Even if Durham take the last three wickets quickly today they will not have enough time to set Worcestershire a testing target and they will certainly not want to hand them a victory.

* Wickets continued to tumble at Maidstone yesterday as Kent wrapped up victory in their Frizzell County Championship match against Gloucestershire inside three days.

Having had eight points deducted following the fall of 18 wickets on Thursday, Kent at least clawed a few points back as they won by seven wickets.

Wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien took six catches in the second innings as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 98 to leave the hosts needing just 78 to win.

Steve Kirby claimed three wickets but Darren Stevens and Matt Walker eventually steered Kent home.

Chris Read and Mark Ealham shared in an unbroken stand of 83 to keep Nottinghamshire in contention in their top-two tussle against Hampshire at Trent Bridge.

Andrew Harris had earlier finished with six for 83 as Hampshire were bowled out for 277.

The Notts reply began badly but David Hussey (42) and then Read (59 not out) and Ealham (41no) lifted them to 222 for five at stumps.

Read more about Durham here.