NO sooner had the retained list been announced yesterday than the Durham players relaxed and allowed Glamorgan to score 239 runs in the afternoon session
It prompted skipper Jon Lewis to gather his players round for what looked like a ticking-off.
But with Michael Powell and Matthew Maynard in full cry there was no discernible improvement.
They continued to blaze away at seven-an-over, passing the record fourth-wicket stand against Durham of 222 between Surrey's Darren Bicknell and Alistair Brown at Darlington in 1994.
The partnership was worth 231 in 33 overs when Maynard astonishingly became the second player in the innings to be out hit wicket.
In the third over, first innings century-maker Mark Wallace trod on his stumps when his back foot slipped as he set off for a single to mid-wicket off fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.
It was a scarcely-deserved wicket for the Pakistani as he operated well below full revs and had one for 44 in eight overs when he was recalled in fading light at 5pm.
The batsmen were offered the chance to go off, but they stayed on and Maynard drove the fourth ball past mid-off to reach his century off only 97 balls.
Having already hooked Shoaib magnificently for one of his three sixes, he attempted a repeat when the next ball was predictably short.
But it struck him on the helmet, and as he fell he dislodged a bail.
Although the physio's arrival quickly dispelled the initial concern about Maynard, it was decided to go off with Powell unbeaten on 156 out of a total of 296 for four.
Neil Killeen was the one Durham bowler able to keep some kind of check on the scoring rate and he was unlucky not to snare Powell on 99.
Going for a forcing back-foot shot, Powell edged straight between Phil Mustard and Vince Wells at slip for his 21st four to complete his century off 112 balls.
He needed only 30 more balls to reach 150 with three fours in an over off Mark Davies and it was a measure of the quality of his strokeplay that he lost little in comparison with the imperious Maynard.
Two sixes were Maynard's only scoring strokes in the first innings and this time he began with three fours.
Two sixes driven over long-off from successive Graeme Bridge deliveries took him to 50 off 41 balls and there was no sign of a let-up until he was poleaxed by the Pakistani.
Apart from Wells and Davies, who shared a last-wicket stand of 48, Durham batted poorly in the morning after resuming on 142 for four.
Gary Pratt added only one to his 58 before clipping a catch to square leg then Mustard flirted outside off stump and edged to first slip.
Bridge stepped back to steer the simplest of catches to gully, Shoaib slogged the fourth ball he faced to deep point and Killeen was clean bowled.
At 199 for nine they needed one more for a batting point and they almost got two as Davies applied himself properly and played several good strokes in making 21.
Wells finished unbeaten on 58, his third half-century in 19 championship innings.
He survived a difficult low chance to the wicketkeeper on 29 and a big appeal for lbw from Robert Croft on 46 before cutting the next ball for his seventh four to reach 50 off 87 balls.
Durham will finish the season with 31 batting points, 23 fewer than Yorkshire but ten more than they mustered last season.
With a first innings deficit of 23, the game was well balanced, especially when Glamorgan slipped to ten for two.
After Wallace's demise, Adrian Dale tamely steered Killeen to gully, but that was as good as it got for Durham.
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