Di Venuto dominates for Durham

Michael Di Venuto took the attack to Yorkshire with 184 not out

Michael Di Venuto took advantage of the absence of Matthew Hoggard to bat all day for an unbeaten 184 for Durham against Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street.

Despite having only 47 runs from four previous championship innings this season, Di Venuto dominated as Durham reached 337 for six.

Although Hoggard knew before noon that he would not be in the England team for the first Test, he was told to stay at Lord’s until the toss, after which he can travel to play at Riverside.

With Morne Morkel and Ajmal Shahzad injured, Yorkshire handed a debut to 19-year-old Sheffield-born seamer Ben Sanderson, but nominated him as the man to stand down once Hoggard arrives.

Coming on as first change, Sanderson bowled well enough in his first spell, but he took some punishment from Di Venuto in the afternoon, conceding 32 off five overs

Tim Bresnan continued his good start with three wickets, all to edged catches, although the last one resulted from a rush of blood by Ben Harmison.

The left-hander had battled for 19 overs to make 21 when he went for a hook eight overs before the close and gave Gerard Brophy his third catch.

Di Venuto scored 89 in the afternoon session but was becalmed after tea following the loss of Dale Benkenstein and Phil Mustard in Anthony McGrath’s first three overs.

Benkenstein, back from South Africa after the birth of a son, looked as solid as ever in reaching the day’s second highest score of 29, only to pull the fourth ball after tea straight to wide mid-on.

Then Mustard drove at an away-swinger well wide of off stump and edged to Brophy.

Di Venuto was initially matched by Mark Stoneman in an opening stand of 96, but the youngster lost momentum and edged Bresnan to third slip.

The out-of-touch Kyle Coetzer took 36 balls to get off the mark courtesy of a misfield by the bowler, Darren Gough. But the Scot lasted only five more balls before edging Bresnan to second slip.

Neil McKenzie, pushing forward, edged a good one from Gough to Brophy before Benkenstein helped Di Venuto put on 98.

The Tasmanian’s only scare came on 68 when Adam Lyth, on his championship debut, got his right hand to a chance at backward point off Gough.

Deon Kruis saw Paul Wiseman survive a sharp chance to Bresnan at third slip on two before the New Zealander put him away for two boundaries to remain unbeaten on 21.