THE two additions to the new honours boards in Scarborough's dressing rooms yesterday were both South African, and could be seen as just reward for a season's impressive graft.

Centuries and five-wicket hauls are recorded, and among those to feature most are the opposing team bosses in the current match, local hero David Byas and Martyn Moxon.

Dale Benkenstein's third hundred for Durham and Deon Kruis's third haul of five for Yorkshire ensured maximum batting and bowling points for their respective sides and a place on the boards for themselves.

It was a mystery why Durham batted on after reaching 400 with seven wickets down as all they achieved was to hand Yorkshire the third bowling point.

With a further 16 overs being lost in this rain-ruined stalemate, Durham were all out for 414 and Yorkshire replied with 129 for two.

While Benkenstein has been a revelation in adding much-needed steel to Durham, Yorkshire fans would be entitled to ask why they have needed such a huge input from Kruis when two years ago they could select from Gough, Hoggard, Silverwood, Sidebottom, Kirby and Bresnan.

Kirby took 67 first-class wickets two years ago, but last season no-one got to the 50 mark, which Kruis passed yesterday in a 36-over stint which brought him five for 106.

Tim Bresnan had four for 101, which means that he and Kruis have captured 18 of the last 20 championship wickets taken by Yorkshire.

Off-spinner Richard Dawson's lack of wickets is a worry and Durham's total had moved on to 272 for three before he was tried.

Benkenstein sat back to cut the last ball of his first over for four and in his third and last over drove him over long-off for six to bring up the 300.

The fourth wicket stand was worth 167, of which Benkenstein made 92, when Gordon Muchall fell for 64 to the first ball of a new spell by Bresnan.

Muchall's name is already on the honours board following his century here last year. He was not as fluent this time, hitting eight fours in 136 balls, but worked hard for his runs before offering a simple catch to mid-on.

Yorkshire took the new ball at 319 for four and Benkenstein sliced Ian Harvey's first ball wide of gully for four then ran the fourth wide of the slips to complete his 155-ball century with his 15th four.

He added his second six when he skied a hook off Kruis over long leg but was then becalmed as extra bounce accounted for Gareth Breese then Phil Mustard whacked 21 before cutting Harvey to backward point just before lunch.

Benkenstein was on 120 when rain extended the lunch break by an hour, and after losing Liam Plunkett straight afterwards to a regulation catch at the wicket he brought up the 400.

That seemed like the logical time to declare but in trying to press on Benkenstein edged a drive to second slip to fall for 126, his highest score for Durham taking his championship total to 931.

Steep bounce forced Callum Thorp to fend to short leg and when Brad Williams edged to second slip the last five wickets had gone down in 41 balls for 26 runs.

Williams opened up with six accurate overs at a lively pace on his championship debut, and of the 19 runs he conceded four came off an inside edge when Matthew Wood was on two.

Plunkett also generated good pace, but the gentler variations purveyed by Thorp and Neil Killeen were easily dealt with as Wood and Joe Sayers put on 73.

Both fell in successive overs from Paul Collingwood. Wood walked across his stumps and was lbw for 47 then Sayers, who was playing well, was surprised by a bouncer, edging it to Mike Hussey at second slip.

Phil Jaques flashed wildly at the next ball and for the next few overs continued to bat as though he was not expecting a contract for next season. But he settled down to finish on 18, while McGrath had three expertly-pulled fours in his 25 as Durham dropped short too often and were unusually shoddy in the field.

* Durham are offering a three-match pass for £15 for their remaining home totesport League matches, starting with the visit of Scotland tomorrow. The other matches are against Kent and Somerset.