DURHAM'S encouraging start at Trent Bridge yesterday was undermined by some excellent leg-spin bowling from Stuart MacGill.

Shane Warne's understudy in the Australian team took three wickets in eight balls to knock the heart out of the innings and finished with six for 81.

On a very good pitch, Durham were looking for maximum batting points for the first time this season against the Division Two leaders, who were without Charlie Shreck and Mark Ealham.

But after reaching 157 for one in early afternoon, Durham subsided to 300 all out and were again indebted to Andrew Pratt for the third batting point as he hit a spirited 39 not out.

The top six all got into double figures, but the closest anyone came to altering the fact that the only two championship centuries this season have come on the last day of matches was skipper Jon Lewis with a season's best 77.

The day finished on a bright note as Mark Davies took his 29th championship wicket with the first ball of the second over of Nottinghamshire's innings.

Left-hander Darren Bicknell pushed forward and was lbw, but with the score on six for one and five overs remaining the umpires decided the light was too poor to continue.

MacGill has not bowled well against Durham in the past and he served up a few juicy offerings yesterday until he suddenly removed Paul Collingwood for 31.

Although MacGill was always turning the ball, it was happening too slowly to be a big threat and most of his wickets came with quicker balls.

Collingwood looked well on course for the big score he needed to stay in the England frame, but he pushed too firmly at a ball which turned, took the edge and was brilliantly held by Kevin Pietersen at slip.

The same combination accounted for Nicky Peng, who had made a patient 32, then Gareth Breese was out first ball, hit on the foot by a much quicker ball.

Gary Pratt thrust his pad forward and was also lbw to one which turned into him, then Neil Killeen swept to deep backward square leg and Davies was bowled on the back foot by one which hurried on to him.

Last man Pallav Kumar was shaping quite capably, but after running the single which brought up the 300 Andrew Pratt called him back for a second and he narrowly failed to make it.

Kumar retained his place as Shoaib Akhtar again ruled himself out because of his rib injury. With only Monday's totesport League match at home to Derbyshire to come in the next eight days after this game, Durham will concentrate on getting their potential match-winner fully fit for the visit of Yorkshire on June 8.

Everything was looking rosy during a second wicket stand of 110 between Lewis and Gordon Muchall but then they fell in quick succession during a lively spell from Paul Franks.

After Marcus North chipped Ryan Sidebottom to mid-on, the second wicket pair both enjoyed some early luck.

Lewis hit the first of his 14 fours in the air wide of gully, while both survived big lbw appeals, with Muchall looking particularly fortunate on 28.

He seemed to lose sight of a slower ball from Richard Logan, which hit him on the arm as he ducked into it. The bowler couldn't believe his appeal was turned down and showed signs of petulance as Lewis twice hit him for two successive fours.

On 38 the captain was wisely sent back by Muchall, who had played the ball straight to backward point, and Lewis would have been out had the throw hit the stumps.

He then settled down and moved steadily to 50 off 81 balls, while Muchall again played fluently, hitting 11 fours in his 57-ball half-century.

He was almost out on 49 when he drove Franks just short of mid-on, then on 60 he was dropped by David Hussey at second slip off the same bowler. But without addition the same combination proved his undoing as Franks was rewarded for greatly improving his line after a wayward start.

He also seemed to be fired up by Lewis hitting him for three successive fours to reach 76, especially as the third reached the boundary via second slip's fingertips.

Lewis added only one before he played back to a ball which nipped back and bowled him off his pads.

Collingwood settled in quickly with an off drive for four and on 13 he pulled Sidebottom high over long leg for six.

His stand of 37 with Peng took Durham past 200 with only three wickets down, but then MacGill began to work his magic.

He left them at least 100 short of requirements, and despite Davies's wicket Durham will do well not to concede a first innings deficit today.

Read more about Durham County Cricket Club here.