IT was like Derby in reverse as Northants began to squander their winning position on Saturday, just as Durham had done against Derbyshire at the start of the season.

But whereas Stephen Harmison was out first ball to give Derbyshire a two-run win, Northants' last man, Jason Brown, edged past slip for the two runs which tied the scores and Darren Cousins swept the winning single.

It was another agonising defeat for Durham, who suddenly found themselves back in the game, despite being subjected to a blistering 73-ball century from Graeme Swann.

The teams set up a riveting day's cricket by forfeiting an innings each in a match which had lost two days to the weather.

Northants needed 353 to win and at 181 for five when Swann went in they were second favourites.

But he rode his early luck, smashed five sixes in his hundred, and at 340 for six the hosts were cruising to victory.

The final hour had not yet begun when wicketkeeper Tobin Bailey recklessly swept Nicky Phillips into the hands of Neil Killeen.

That exposed a final three as weak as any in the championship and it became 343 for eight when Phillips had Carl Greenidge lbw.

In the next over Swann pulled Graeme Bridge for another six, only to sweep the next ball straight to Ian Hunter at deep backward square leg.

Four runs were still needed, but two of the biggest rabbits in the country survived two shouts for lbw from Bridge to leave Durham deflated.

They had every reason for confidence at the start of play, hoping their two spinners could exploit the roughed-up areas on the pitch.

The work had been done primarily to suit Northants' off-spinners Swann and Brown, so there was not as much benefit for Bridge's left-arm spin as there was for Phillips.

But in the event Bridge proved just how far he has moved ahead of Phillips as Durham's No 1 spinner as the latter conceded runs at six an over until his final few and was flattered by his three wickets.

Swann's first four sixes were all off Phillips, who was selected ahead of Bridge for Durham's first match, only to break a finger.

He has been short of bowling since his recovery, but after conceding 32 in three overs in the C & G defeat at Bristol, followed by Saturday's mauling, Durham must be wincing about the cost of sending him to work with Ashley Mallet in Australia during the winter.

Bridge turned the ball sharply when he landed it in the scuffed areas on or outside off stump, but less so when he bowled the more threatening line for a left-armer of leg and middle.

Phillips rarely hit the right areas to cause trouble, his one big success coming with an arm ball which hurried on to have left-hander Tony Penberthy lbw after a seventh wicket stand of 110 in 17 overs.

Bridge took three of the first five wickets and finished with four for 102. Although he didn't escape punishment, Swann took far fewer liberties with him than he did with Phillips.

Some of Swann's ungainly sweeps early in his innings could have gone anywhere, but once he began to middle the ball it regularly fizzed to the boundary.

Hunter beat him with a beauty on 25, but was twice pulled for four in the next three balls, then the first six came in the next over.

With the score on 256 for five, Durham went into a huddle as they came out from tea, but 35 runs were thrashed before they removed Penberthy for 47 in the fifth over after the break.

Bailey gave Swann solid support until his brainstorm, and with the total on 314 Jon Lewis gambled by bringing on Marc Symington. His first ball beat Swann, but he was then pulled for four and when he again dropped short in his next over Swann pulled the six which took him to his second championship hundred.

His previous one was in 1998 and his top score since then was 78, so Durham can count themselves unlucky to have been on the receiving end from a player who has generally under-achieved since being hailed as a future England all-rounder.

The situation suited him as he had a licence to go out and play his strokes as neither side was interested in a draw.

It made for a fascinating day's cricket, but sadly it left Durham more firmly anchored at the bottom.

Read more about Durham here.