DURHAM began to scent their second successive innings win when they had Warwickshire rocking on 30 for three at tea on the second day, in reply to 602 for six declared.

With leaders Lancashire on the way to victory at the Rose Bowl, it is vital for Durham to stay on their heels and they could not have had a better afternoon session.

Ian Blackwell and Phil Mustard thrashed 119 runs in just over an hour before Blackwell fell one run short of following Dale Benkenstein to his third championship century of the season.

He could have pushed a Boyd Rankin long hop into leg-side spaces for a single, but being in overdrive he tried to pull it for his fifth six and holed out at deep square leg.

Mustard immediately declared with his own score on 71, taking his championship average to 152.5.

Steve Harmison and Callum Thorp initially seemed to find no more encouragement from the pitch than the home bowlers. But Irish left-hander Will Porterfield pushed forward to the last ball of the sixth over and edged Thorp to Scott Borthwick at third slip.

Ian Westwood never looked happy and failed to score in five overs before he popped up a catch off Harmison to Will Smith at short leg.

Off the first ball of Harmison’s next over, the first one faced by Mohammad Yousuf, the Pakistani clipped straight to Borthwick, stationed just in front of square leg.

Jim Troughton had yet to score at tea, while Varun Chopra was on 24.