Landmarks reached in evenly balanced encounter

Durham's Paul Collingwood and Worcestershire's Phil Weston both passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season at Chester-le-Street.

Collingwood's excellent 103 took him to the landmark for the first time before Durham slipped from 308 for three to 369 all out.

Worcestershire replied with 163 for five before bad light ended play seven overs early with Graeme Hick unbeaten on 68. Weston, badly missed at long leg on 16, raced to 50 off 53 balls before being tied down and edging Danny Law to second slip on 55.

Resuming on 97, Durham skipper Jon Lewis ran the first ball of the third over to third man to complete his hundred off 260 balls with 15 fours.

Counting their efforts against Durham University in the first match of the season, Lewis and Collingwood have both made three centuries. But Lewis was left 19 short of 1,000 runs when he chipped to mid-wicket on 129.

Pulling and driving freely, Collingwood went to his hundred off 155 balls with a pulled six off Chris Liptrot.

He had also hit 17 fours but fell later in the same over when he edged an attempted drive to wicket-keeper Steve Rhodes.

Runs dried up as only ten came off ten overs, then David Leatherdale took three of the last wickets to finish with four for 70.

Hick played himself in quietly during a second-wicket stand of 64, but he joined in Weston's onslaught on Ian Hunter's early overs before the bowler suddenly struck a double blow.

He bowled Vikram Solanki, whose Championship innings against Durham this season have lasted one, two and three balls. Hunter then found steep lift to have Leatherdale caught behind, but Hick cruised to 50 off 66 balls with seven fours.