TASMANIAN Michael Di Venuto rose like a colossus above the rest of the shambolic batting at Riverside yesterday, denying Durham the chance to take an even stronger grip of their game against Derbyshire.

Jon Lewis and Michael Gough survived ten overs at the close to reach 16, giving Durham a lead of 89 and high hopes of a first championship win.

The left-handed Di Venuto, who made a hundred to win the match here two years ago, opened the Derbyshire innings and was last out for 150 out of 244.

He raced to 50 off 42 balls then throttled back with wickets falling at the other end.

But he was still utterly dominant, especially against the pace of Dewald Pretorius, who he hit for three fours in an early over and four in another after reaching his hundred.

It was a masterful display, highlighted by his back-foot shots straight down the ground, which were of the highest class.

Di Venuto finally found a dogged partner in Kevin Dean, who quickly took the last four Durham wickets in the morning and defied them with the bat after coming in at 182 for eight.

Dean, who made his maiden half-century against Durham at Derby a year ago, showed good judgement of what to leave and contributed 15 to a stand of 54 before being run out when he slipped in going for a second.

In his seventh championship innings of the season, this was Di Venuto's second century and he has made three other 50s. Considering the ease with which he played, the manner in which some of his colleagues self-destructed was deeply unprofessional.

The biggest culprit was Pakistani Shahid Afridi, who reinforced his reputation as a slogger by falling second ball when trying to launch Nicky Phillips into the stratosphere.

Apart from a couple of loose early overs Phillips bowled well and deserved his other two wickets. He forced Luke Sutton, who has had two hundreds this season, to play on and had Dominic Cork superbly taken low to his right by Martin Love at slip.

Slip catching has been a weakness for Durham this season, but Vince Wells also held a good one, diving low to his left, to give Pretorius one of his four wickets.

The South African conceded runs at almost six an over and all his victims got out to poor shots.

Durham lost their remaining four wickets in 8.4 overs for 21 runs in the morning, with left-armer Dean taking four for four.

Andrew Gait held a much harder chance at gully than the one he dropped with Vince Wells on six to remove the all-rounder without addition to his 61.

Andrew Pratt edged a drive to Di Venuto at first slip, Phillips had his off and middle stumps rearranged when aiming to leg and Pretorius was bowled third ball.

Gait fell in the fourth over of the reply, lunging forward and edging a good ball from Neil Killeen to Pratt.

But Steve Selwood then shared a stand of 70 before flashing at a short, wide ball to give the wicketkeeper a second catch.

That started a slide to 131 for six, but Durham lacked the firepower to turn the screw and the only time Di Venuto looked like getting out was on 122, when he edged the first ball of a new spell by Killeen to Pratt on the half volley.

* Yorkshire suffered their fourth completely blank day of the season at Headingley yesterday, making it the wettest May they have experienced since 1994, writes David Warner..

Light rain and drizzle persisted until tea when umpires John Holder and Vanburn Holder decided to call time.

Yorkshire are due to resume their first innings against Glamorgan on 190 for nine but further lengthy delays could see the game heading for a draw.

Yorkshire have so far lost 2,027 minutes of Championship play this season.

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