7:45PM, Wed Jun 6, 2012

County Championship Durham v Warwickshire Day 2

By James Craggs Location: Emirates ICG

Chris Rushworth took five wickets to help Durham to a good lead

Seamer Chris Rushworth produced his second career-best performance of the week to put Durham on top after day two against Warwickshire at Chester-le-Street.

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Brought in as a replacement for Graham Onions, the Sunderland-born Rushworth followed his one-day best of 5-31 against Nottinghamshire on Sunday by taking 5-46.

After an opening stand of 61 Warwickshire were all out for 197, trailing by 80, and Durham reached 28-2 in their second innings.

Rushworth's previous first-class best was 4-90 at Chelmsford in 2010 and this is only his second championship appearance in the last season and a half.

Rushworth's heroics left Durham with 11 overs to bat at the end of the day. They were in the sixth when Mark Stoneman was adjudged lbw to a swinger from Keith Barker, then Chris Woakes got one to skid on and pin Will Smith in front.

Jamie Harrison, acting as nightwatchman for the second successive day, survived the last three overs with Gordon Muchall.

DAY ONE

Ben Stokes hit 66 as Durham recovered from a poor start to reach 228-5 on the first day of their Division One match with Warwickshire.

The hosts were 23-2 early on but Stokes, Will Smith (47), Dale Benkenstein (40) and Paul Collingwood (43no) ensured the teams reached stumps with honours just about even.

Keith Barker removed Mark Stoneman (7) who edged to slip Rikke Clarke, and the same man caught Gordon Muchall (0) off Chris Woakes as the Bears' opening bowlers made good use of favourable early conditions.

But Stokes and Smith dug in, defending stoutly and dispatching the odd bad ball, both men hitting seven fours as they added 109.

Chris Wright made a double breakthrough, bowling Stokes and then pinning Smith in front to make it 143-4.

Veteran duo Benkenstein and Collingwood added a painstaking 78 for the fifth wicket, though both survived edges off England Under 19 seamer Tom Milnes, making his debut.

Four overs from the close, Benkenstein lobbed an attempted pull to mid-on to give Woakes the breakthrough.