DURHAM made swift inroads after putting Yorkshire in to bat when the LV County Championship match got underway at Chester-le-Street today.
But following the first day’s washout play was halted by bad light at 12.18 with the visitors on 66 for three. Rain arrived 20 minutes later.
They had been 28 for three with Graham Onions taking two wickets and Callum Thorp one. Steve Harmison came on first change and struggled for direction in the two overs he bowled before the break.
Paul Collingwood replaced the injured Ben Stokes in the only change from the side which beat Lancashire in the last championship match. That meant there was no place for Liam Plunkett, and Thorp justified his retention with an excellent spell of one for 16 in seven overs.
Onions struck the first blow with the day’s sixth ball. Adam Lyth, who was preferred to Joe Sayers, played back and edged low to Michael Di Venuto at second slip without a run on the board.
Anthony McGrath’s struggle for form continued as he made three before thrusting his pad half forward to a ball from Thorp which swung slightly and had him lbw.
Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale made nine before shaping to play Onions on the leg side, only for extra bounce and movement to find the edge on the way to Scott Borthwick at third slip.
Jonny Bairstow was quickly into his stride, playing the shot of the morning when he clipped Onions to the mid-wicket boundary.
He had a stroke of luck on 20 when he shouldered arms to a ball from Onions which nipped back and passed narrowly over the middle stump.
Opener Joe Root looked comfortable in reaching 27 at the break, with Bairstow on 24.
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