Dimitri Mascarenhas threatended to make Durham rue their decision to bat at Chester-le-Street yesterday.

At one stage the Hampshire bowler recently brought into the England one-day fold, pictured, had figures of four for five in the Championship match.

Durham slumped to a perilous 29-5 - until Ben Harmison, brother of England's Steve, joined his captain, Dale Benkenstein, in a stand of 156.

Benkenstein hauled Durham back from a perilous 29 for five as his unbeaten 112 took them to 245-7 before bad light ended play.

Three days after brother Steve had the hernia operation which will rule him out for four to six weeks, Harmison junior made 66 - after totalling 16 runs in his six previous championship innings this season.

He timed the ball sweetly in striking seven fours across the lush outfield, which contributed to Benkenstein hitting only six boundaries in his 191-ball century. Although he had five half-centuries in between, it was his first hundred since making 103 not out at Worcester in the first match of the season.

The captain played fluently throughout the afternoon, completing his hundred just before tea when he cut David Griffiths for four.

Griffiths, a 21-year-old seamer from the Isle of Wight, was making his championship debut in the absence of Chris Tremlett, on Test duty, and Daren Powell.

As with Durham's signing of his fellow West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Powell's debut has been delayed by the need for a work permit.

Conditions, rather than his depleted seam attack, probably persuaded Shane Warne to open with Mascarenhas, who struck in his first over.

He swung one into left-hander Mark Stoneman, who was lbw for nought on his home debut, then Will Smith pushed forward and edged to wicketkeeper Nic Pothas.

New Zealander Scott Styris, who is to stay until Chanderpaul is available, continued his miserable run by being caught off bat and pad at short leg for two.

Kyle Coetzer edged to Pothas before Griffiths took his maiden wicket when Phil Mustard edged a poor shot to Warne at second slip.

Harmison survived a slightly streaky start to play with impressive assurance as Mascarenhas bowled unchanged for figures of four for 22 from 16 overs, until Warne replaced him for the last over before lunch.

Warne bowled a further 13 overs in the afternoon before turning to the occasional off-spin of Michael Carberry, whose quicker ball pinned Harmison lbw.

Ottis Gibson drove successive balls from Warne for six and four as he contributed 28 to a stand of 52, but when the new ball was taken he padded up to James Bruce and was lbw for 28.

Bad light ended play four overs later with 18 overs still to be bowled.

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