By Tim Wellock at the Riverside

First day of four: Durham 311-7 v Yorkshire

DURHAM captain David Boon was happy to capitalise on generous offerings yesterday as he constructed the season's first century at this venue.

After gambling on bowling first with a heavily depleted attack, David Byas could not afford any lapses in the field. But he dropped Boon at slip on 12 and the craggy Australian finished on 120 not out.

Yorkshire have beaten Durham by wide margins in their last four championship meetings and Boon was critical of the controversial two-tone pitch on which his team lost by an innings at Scarborough last year.

After leading Durham to the unprecedented heights of second place this season, he feels they are a match for anyone on maturing Riverside pitches which now reward good cricket after their spiteful early years.

Despite the bright sunshine which prevailed for most of the day, play began 15 minutes late because of the residual moisture which persuaded Byas to unleash his rookie seamers.

Elevated to the role of senior paceman in the absence of Darren Gough and Chris Silverwood, Paul Hutchison responded with two excellent spells of controlled swing. Despite a warning for running down the pitch, he took three of the wickets as Durham subsided to 112 for four.

It was a different game however, when Hutchison was out of an attack which included Mathew Hoggard and Ryan Sidebottom, who had three previous championship appearances between them.

Once he had survived the chance off Richard Stemp, plus two big lbw shouts from Gavin Hamilton, Boon looked as immovable as Ayers Rock in reaching his fifth championship century for Durham off 263 balls.

He scored only 24 in his first 32 overs at the crease, during which he was initially content to watch Nick Speak going for his strokes in making his fourth half-century of the season.

Speak looked surprised to be given out caught at the wicket when taking evasive action against Hutchison, who quickly struck again when Paul Collingwood came to the crease boasting 450 championship runs at an average of 50.

He shouldered arms only to see his off bail removed, but from a position in which the Durham of old might have capitulated, the new resolve emanating from Boon enabled them to advance to within one run of their highest total of the season.

Boon shared stands of 93 with Martin Speight and 45 with Michael Foster, who scored all but 10 of them in a 35-ball cameo which hinted at a deep grievance against his native county.

He was out attempting to hook a fourth successive four off Hamilton, but Boon found a staunch partner in an unbroken stand of 38 with Melvyn Betts.

Boon tired towards the close, having batted for almost six hours, and would have been run out had a throw by Matthew Wood from backward square hit the stumps.

Day 2: Vaughan digs in to defy Durham

By Tim Wellock at Riverside

Second day of four: Yorkshire (235-8) trail Durham (337) by 102 runs

MICHAEL VAUGHAN converted his fifth successive first-class 50 into his first century of the season to keep Yorkshire afloat in the face of career-best bowling from Nicky Phillips.

Durham's 24-year-old off-spinner bowled unchanged for 42 overs to take four for 70, but Vaughan's only real troubles came during an impressive second spell from Melvyn Betts, during which he was caught behind off a no-ball and survived a difficult chance to first slip on 74.

Vaughan hit just six boundaries in his 118 not out. He found an obdurate ally in Paul Hutchison, who began the day by having to be removed from the Yorkshire attack for running on the pitch following two warnings on Wednesday from umpire Graham Burgess.

Whether the rough created by Hutchison helped Phillips is a moot point, but he had taken only six wickets at 59.1 despite playing in every championship match since being released by Sussex last season.

The turn was not vicious, but it was enough to earn him three of his wickets, starting with Darren Lehmann. The Australian had made only two when he lofted Phillips first bounce over the rope at long on. But he was then lured out of his crease and smartly stumped by Martin Speight.

Matthew Wood fell lbw on the back foot, while Richard Stemp, also beaten by the spin, was bowled leg stump.

Durham lost their last three wickets for the addition of 26 runs in the morning, leaving David Boon on 139 not out, made in 402 minutes. It was his 66th first-class century and the highest of his five for Durham.

Rain was threatening as Yorkshire began their reply with Vaughan and Anthony McGrath scoring at four and over in a stand of 62 before Steve Harmison struck twice to take his season's tally of victims to 31.

Day 3: Durham guilty of abject surrender

By Tim Wellock at Riverside

Third day of four: Yorks (319 & 93-1) bt Durham (337 & 74) by 9 wkts

JUST when Durham thought it was safe to swim with the big fish, they were chewed up like a shoal of sprat by what had appeared a relatively toothless Yorkshire attack.

Durham began the third day with high hopes of achieving the win which would put them one point behind leaders Surrey. By tea they had been dismissed for the lowest total at this four-year-old ground and their second lowest in seven seasons of first-class cricket.

Rarely can the game's highs and lows have been better illustrated as Durham's debacle unfolded on the same blameless pitch where in the morning, Michael Vaughan advanced from 118 to 177, the highest score at the Riverside.

He later made 36 not out as Yorkshire knocked off the 93 required to win in 18.4 overs.

Durham could initially point to bad luck. With five overs to bat to lunch, they took 16 off the first three to stretch their overall lead to 34 and the perfect four-day game was developing.

Paul Hutchison then struck with successive balls, Jon Lewis and Nick Speak both departing reluctantly following decisions by Trevor Jesty. Television replays suggested the ball had brushed Lewis's calf before being caught down the legside by Richard Blakey, while Speak could hardly have been further forward when adjudged lbw.

There could be no argument, however, when Hutchison struck his most vital blow, swinging one in to have David Boon lbw. With their mainstay removed, Durham capitulated.

Hutchison was again warned for running on the pitch, but he looked every inch an England prospect in both innings as he led an attack shorn off Darren Gough, Chris Silverwood and Craig White.

Remarkably, all the wickets fell to left-armers. Richard Stemp, coming on in the fourth over, was treated as though he was bowling hand grenades until he picked up some easy wickets when the lower order had a go. He bowled tidily, but figures of four for 13 in 21 overs were ridiculously flattering.

Ryan Sidebottom, bowling a much better line than in the first innings, had two victims taken at second slip and a third, Mike Foster, brilliantly grabbed by a leaping Matthew Hoggard at deep-backward square leg.

Only Paul Collingwood, top scorer with 13, resisted with any real resilience as the fighting spirit which Boon has instilled drained rapidly away during a dispiriting morning session.

There was barracking from disgruntled Durham members as they had to suffer one of those dire episodes where the field is set back in an effort to get the No 11 on strike and prevent the senior batsman hitting boundaries.

There had been little attempt to attack Vaughan and he was able to compound the futility by refusing singles while proceeding without difficulty to within six of his career-best score.

He was last out when he missed a booming drive at Foster and lost his off bail. But it had been a masterful innings, spanning 437 minutes, and went a long way towards bursting Durham's bubble.