MARK Davies continued to press his claims for a place in Durham's championship line-up by taking three of the first four wickets on his first-class debut yesterday.

While the other seamers toiled on a flat Riverside pitch, the 21-year-old Norton bowler confirmed the promise which has earned him a place on the full-time staff.

After several eye-catching one-day performances last year, including four for 13 in a National League win against Sussex, Davies's season was ended by a collapsed lung.

He perhaps had more to prove yesterday than his more experienced teammates, who quickly discovered that the Durham University batsmen would not be repeating last season's capitulation to 67 all out.

But the competition for places against Middlesex on Friday means no-one can relax, and Neil Killeen has some work to do to get back to commanding an automatic place, as he did last season before injury intervened.

The students made 264 for nine in reply to Durham's Saturday score of 415 for eight declared, which featured a century by skipper Jon Lewis, 82 from Nicky Peng and an exhilarating 74 by Paul Collingwood.

Anyone keenly anticipating the introduction next season of a 20-overs-a-side competition would not have appreciated yesterday's accumulation of runs at fewer than three an over.

But most of the university side are on county staffs, albeit southern ones, and these games are seen as an important part of their development into first-class cricketers as opposed to evening sloggers.

The top two run scorers, Middlesex's Michael Brown (57) and Essex left-hander Tim Phillips (75), played very well, adding to the impression given in Saturday's bowling display that the side has advanced since that inaugural first-class match a year ago.

The 6ft 10in opener Will Jefferson was the one batsman to put bat to ball on that occasion, going on to impress for Essex before a back injury struck him down.

Neither he nor Brown were unduly troubled by Stephen Harmison's opening spell yesterday, but when Davies came on Jefferson played across the line and was lbw.

Brown, who batted for an hour for nought last year, then dominated a stand of 82 with skipper Matt Banes.

When off-spinner Nicky Phillips came on in the 19th over Brown twice lofted him just short of the rope at long-on in his first over.

Brown was dropped at mid-on by Danny Law off Phillips on 39 and there were a few other examples of shoddy fielding from a Durham side who could be forgiven for not being fully motivated by the occasion.

When Harmison returned, Brown on-drove him for his tenth four straight after reaching 50 off 114 balls, but a little extra bounce in Harmison's next over had Brown fencing to second slip, where Collingwood clung on to the catch.

Slick work by Andrew Pratt appeared to have earned him a stumping off Phillips with Banes on 26, but reserve list umpire Richard Kettleborough turned down the appeal.

Davies returned and had Kent's Alex Louden caught off a loose stroke by Jimmy Daley at cover, then Banes shuffled into a straight one and was lbw for 39.

Phillips and Law also gained lbw verdicts, but after stroking ten fours in his 102-ball 50, Tim Phillips went serenely on with sweetly-struck sweeps and lofted drives off his namesake.

He survived a sharp chance to Lewis at extra cover on 66 off Law, but the same bowler had him shortly afterwards when he chipped a return catch.

There was a third wicket for Law when he bowled Mark Thorburn, but when Harmison was recalled to wrap up the tail he had time for only one success before bad light intervened with ten minutes remaining.

* National League champions Kent have received a pre-season boost after agreeing a £400,000 sponsorship deal. After recording £40,000 losses in the last financial year, Kent have extended their deal with brewers Shepherd Neame.