NEVER have Durham profited so handsomely from left-handers as they did on a rain-interrupted third day against Essex at Colchester.

The Pratt brothers and Ashley Thorpe all scored half-centuries to build a second innings total of 323 for eight, giving Durham a lead of 311.

A rare day when almost everything went their way ended with acting captain Nicky Phillips reaching an extraordinary 50 off the last ball.

He survived the sixth dropped catch of the day, a sitter to Joe Grant at mid-on, on 29 then flat-batted a six to cow corner off Jon Dakin and continued to cut and carve gaily in passing his previous best championship score for Durham of 42. He completed his 50 off only 40 balls.

Gary Pratt made 65 before a mini slump from 113 for one to 143 for five was halted by a stand of 98, which gave Durham every chance of recording their second championship win of the season today.

Andrew Pratt made 51 of those, having reached his 50 in the over before Thorpe, who departed for 61 two overs later just as he was really beginning to dominate.

Durham have often suffered at the hands of left-handers, from the fluency of Brian Lara and Darren Lehmann to the obduracy of Jack Russell, but have had very few with which to respond.

With the arrival of Thorpe in the team they have three in the top seven for the first time, and the depleted Essex attack did not pose them too many problems.

After previously looking out of his depth at this level, Thorpe again made a twitchy start, but suddenly looked far more secure after cashing in with a couple of leg-side boundaries when John Stephenson was left on too long.

He was badly missed at backward point by Graham Napier on 37, but proved increasingly adept at working the ball square off his legs, and when Essex turned to the medium pace of 17-year-old Ravinder Bopara a long hop was despatched to the boundary to bring up Thorpe's 50 off 113 balls.

Dakin, the victim when Thorpe was dropped, kept trying to exploit a supposed weakness against the short ball on off stump.

But when he gave Thorpe too much width he was twice cracked to the boundary, only for the batsman to get carried away and drive to extra cover when Dakin pitched one up.

After his struggles against Robert Croft last week, Thorpe was content to keep out off-spinner James Middlebrook, who opened up when play began in bright sunshine but failed to bowl the right line to exploit the turn available.

Gary Pratt cracked a glorious drive to the cover boundary in the third over off Joe Grant and in attempting something similar off the next ball he edged low to first slip, where Darren Robinson spilt the chance.

Pratt junior's eighth four took him to 50 off 98 balls, but he lost Gordon Muchall for 16 when a forcing back-foot shot was caught low down at cover by Napier.

Durham had moved from their overnight 65 for one to 117 for two when rain arrived at 11.55 and on the 2pm resumption Nicky Peng pushed forward and was lbw to Stephenson.

Thorpe might have been run out on eight when he took a risky single to cover and Mark Pettini's shy missed the stumps.

He had another slice of luck on 11 when a ball from Grant flew of the shoulder of his bat just short of third man.

Robinson's second miss of the day at first slip was not costly in terms of runs as Gary Pratt cut the next ball to backward point. But Robinson had to retire with a finger injury and may not be able to bat today.

Marc Symington departed reluctantly when picked up low at second slip by Will Jefferson, as it looked as though he had played the ball into the ground.

But apart from two more breaks for rain, taking the day's total of lost overs to 36, everything went Durham's way in the evening.

Andrew Pratt had made only five when he pulled Grant for six behind square and he continued to put away the bad balls with authority until he fended a throat ball from Dakin to second slip.

Ian Hunter went very close to being caught first ball at square leg, but he and Phillips continued to go for their shots after Thorpe's exit.

Grant bowled Hunter for ten through an airy drive, but Phillips continued to club away and will hope for his luck continues today, when he should have a big part to play with the ball.

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