GRAEME Bridge was handed an unwanted 23rd birthday present yesterday when he recorded the most expensive analysis in Durham's first-class history.

The left-arm spinner did at least take three wickets while conceding 180 runs as Northamptonshire built a first-innings lead of 348 by amassing 538 for seven declared.

Another left-arm spinner, David Cox, took none for 163 on the day Brain Lara made 501 not out, but the most expensive was Phil Bainbridge, with one for 169.

Durham shared the bowling around rather more on that occasion, with even Wayne Larkins and John Morris having a trundle. But yesterday they didn't call on Ashley Thorpe or Gordon Muchall as Bridge and off-spinner Nicky Phillips bore the brunt of the work.

Phillips took two for 160 as both conceded runs at more than four an over and by the time they began to have an impact it was much too late as Northants were 79 in front before their second wicket went down.

Their subsequent slide from 396 for two to 489 for seven was brought about largely by the spinners and the increasing turn merely underlined that Durham will do well to survive the third day today against Jason Brown and Graeme Swann.

But Swann first turned the screw by thrashing 50 off 41 balls as he and Andre Nel indulged in some early-evening carnage in an unbroken stand of 49 before the declaration came, leaving Durham 13 overs to bat.

Nel was initially clueless against Bridge but then suddenly thrashed him over long-on for six and had the audacity to hand out the same treatment to Shoaib Akhtar.

Durham skipper Jon Lewis survived with Gordon Muchall to take the score to 50 at the close, but with a heavy defeat looming Durham will take only two points and slip behind Yorkshire in the promotion battle.

There was a danger that Durham would emerge from the match without a single point, which takes some doing as a bowling point is awarded for taking three wickets inside 130 overs.

It was in the 98th that the third fell, surrendered by David Sales when he got carried away after hitting the first three balls of a new Phillips spell for six, four, four.

Sales, who can usually be relied upon to make runs when the going is easy, contributed 79 off 102 balls to his stand of 127 with Mike Hussey.

But it was Hussey's partnership of 268 with Phil Jaques which entered the record books as the highest second-wicket stand against Durham in first-class cricket.

The previous one was 225 by David Boon and Matthew Hayden for the Australian tourists at Durham University in 1993.

Hussey wants to play for Australia, which is one reason why he is not returning to Northampton for a fourth season.

Like Martin Love, once he reaches 100 he likes to go on and he scored only 48 between lunch and tea yesterday as he ground on relentlessly. It was a huge surprise when he fell for 187 in the last over before tea, when he went back to Bridge and played on.

Other than his concentration, his sweeping of Bridge was the feature of his innings as he repeatedly found the boundary despite two men patrolling it.

Jaques could have been out for 118 when a fierce drive to mid-off was put down by Bridge off Paul Collingwood, who bowled eight overs at the start of the day but was not called on again.

Shoaib's opening burst lasted for only three overs before he departed the arena and 103 runs had been added to the overnight score before Jaques missed a sweep at Bridge and saw his leg bail dislodged.

Shoaib had another short burst after lunch, but having taken a wicket in the first over of the innings he had to wait until the 109th for his second.

Mark Powell edged him to Phil Mustard and the Pakistani finished with two for 91 in 21 overs. His best balls had gone unrewarded, notably when he took the new ball at 406 for three and Hussey shouldered arms to one which just missed his off stump.

But unless Shoaib has more success at Bristol next week Durham's hopes that he could blast them to promotion in the last three games will have evaporated.

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