GORDON Muchall showed a welcome determination to cling to the wreckage of Durham's season at Grace Road yesterday, only to fall in the 90s for the third time this year.

The 21-year-old Durham School product was on 95 when he suffered a bizarre dismissal, made worse by umpire Roy Palmer failing to raise his finger but nodding his head in response to a third frenzied appeal off successive balls.

Impatience was Muchall's downfall for 94 against Essex and 93 against Glamorgan, both at Riverside this season, but this time he was maintaining his composure well until he went down the pitch to Claude Henderson and survived a confident shout for a bat-pad catch.

There was another appeal when the next ball lobbed up off his hip, then he tried to sweep the next delivery and the ball rebounded off wicketkeeper Paul Nixon for Darren Maddy to take a brilliant diving catch at silly point.

Muchall had put down roots in a pitch still favouring the batsmen after Durham followed on 415 behind Leicestershire.

After top scoring with 60 in the first innings total of 219, he carefully compiled his fifth championship half-century of the season. But he is still seeking a second hundred to go with the one he made at Lord's in May, 2002.

Durham were 288 for seven when he was out and he missed the chance of some easy runs in the final hour against a side who had been in the field for a day and a half.

Instead it was Andy Blignaut who cashed in, finally providing evidence of his ability against the tiring attack as he made an unbeaten half-century, which included 12 fours.

He had put on 68 with Liam Plunkett when the day's 104 overs ran out with Durham still 59 behind, but even though they weren't looking like taking wickets Leicestershire exercised their right to claim the extra half hour in a bid to clinch a three-day win.

Two overs later they went off for bad light just after Plunkett had pulled Mark Cleary for six to leave Durham on 373 for seven.

Muchall played second fiddle in stands of 51 with Gareth Breese, 88 with Paul Collingwood and 68 with Kyle Coetzer, but whereas the others flourished then departed he stuck at it.

As it is invariably the overseas men who make Durham suffer, it always seemed inevitable that "Kolpak" signing Henderson would do well against them.

The South African left-arm spinner took the three remaining first innings wickets in the morning to finish with seven for 74, his best figures for Leicestershire.

Durham added only 25 runs, with Plunkett making 18 of those to remain unbeaten on 19, and their total of 219 meant they had added only one batting point to their two for bowling.

If they lose it will be the third time in the last four matches that they have earned only three points, the exception being the trip to Cardiff, when two days were lost to rain.

Coetzer added only two to his overnight 31 before he was caught off bat and pad at short leg off Henderson, then Neil Killeen fell in identical fashion and Graham Onions edged to Nixon.

Jon Lewis and Breese experienced few difficulties in putting on 46 in the second innings, but then the captain fell just as he had in the second innings against Derbyshire last week.

He offered no stroke to a ball from Charlie Dagnall which cut back, although not by much, to take out his off stump.

It was another misjudgement to set alongside the decision to put Leicestershire in, which has had Durham on the back foot throughout this match.

Breese ended a run of three single-figure scores by easing to 43 before Dagnall suddenly found steep bounce from a good length to have the Jamaican caught behind.

Coming in at 97 for two, Collingwood played himself in carefully, scoring only one in his first seven overs at the crease before cutting loose with six fours in ten balls.

The first two were tucked away off his legs off Henderson, then he hit four in an over off seamer Jon Dakin. Two were punched through the covers off the back foot and the others worked through the leg side off the front foot.

He then skied an attempted straight drive off Henderson to deep extra cover, where Cleary got a hand to the ball but couldn't hold on.

Having given Muchall 29 runs start, Collingwood sped past him and cut Ottis Gibson for his ninth four to reach 50.

But after adding one more boundary he turned Gibson off his legs and was caught low down at backward square leg for 57.

Muchall made only 15 out of the stand of 88, but he soldiered on to complete a 107-ball half-century by leg glancing Henderson for his ninth four.

Marcus North drove Henderson classically through the covers for four, but added only one more before missing an attempted drive at Gibson, who slanted the next ball across a similar shot to have the Australian caught at second slip.

Coetzer played some lovely shots through the covers off front and back foot and also swept Henderson very cleanly for four before punching a back-foot shot straight back to the spinner.

Muchall was looking in complete command when he followed a straight drive for four off Cleary with another boundary through extra cover in the same over to move into the 80s.

He still looked composed as he cut Dagnall for his 18th four, but the rush of blood two balls before he was out was an ominous sign. Next time he might try to nudge and nurdle his way through the 90s.

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