MacLeod and Hastings stand gives Durham edge.

Smith claimed his 50th Championship wicket of the season.

A 145-run stand between Callum MacLeod (84) and John Hastings (83) revived Durham’s innings on the first day of their visit to Old Trafford, as the visitors closed on 329/8.

Tom Smith continued his heroics with the ball this season, collecting figures of 4-37 as the all-rounder claimed his 50^th first-class wicket of the season, reducing Durham to 82/5. 

Lancashire started the day with vigour and were unfortunate not to collect an early wicket. Glen Chapple and Tom Bailey demonstrated the two extremes in the Red Rose roster this season, but neither of the Lancashire strike bowlers were able to find a breakthrough.

As a result, Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings were able to establish a 50 partnership for the first wicket as the pair made the most of their time at the crease.

Their stand was broken at exactly 50 when Smith struck with his first delivery of the day, forcing Stoneman to edge behind to Alex Davies for 31. Smith could have had two wickets in two balls, but a loud appeal against Scott Borthwick for another caught behind was rejected.

Borthwick (14) could also have been dismissed soon afterwards, but Ashwell Prince failed to hang on to a routine catch at second-slip. Jennings meanwhile was comfortable against the Lancashire seamers, but failed to adapt when Simon Kerrigan was introduced.

His desire to sweep Kerrigan eventually led to the Durham opener being caught at short-leg by Steven Croft for 26 and Borthwick’s luck soon ran-out when he skied the Lancashire spinner to Chapple for a simple catch.

Durham had now slumped to 75/3 and failed to add any more runs before losing a fourth wicket when Paul Collingwood (0) forced Davies to take a superb catch to his right, as Smith claimed his 50^th scalp of the campaign.

Lancashire made further progress by removing the potentially dangerous Phil Mustard (4) who found himself trapped lbw by Kerrigan after stepping across his stumps.

The partnership which, initially, recovered Durham’s first innings was between Mark Richardson and MacLeod. They negotiated a rough patch for the visitors ensuring that no more wickets fell in the morning session and frustrated the hosts with a 63-run stand for the sixth-wicket into the afternoon.

A rampant Smith ended their defiance when Richardson (38) flashed a delivery to Usman Khawaja at gully with the score at 145/6, but it was the next partnership which neutralized the efforts of the Lancashire bowlers, as MacLeod and Hastings doubled Durham’s total.

Playing in his Championship debut, MacLeod preferred a more gentle approach, reaching his half-century in 124 deliveries but the more experienced Hastings was inetent upon finding the boundary.

He raced to his fifty in just 68 balls, striking four boundaries and clearing the rope six times and his aggression complimented the efforts of MacLeod as the pair thwarted the hopes of a Lancashire side desperate to collect a win that they hope will keep them away from relegation.

Fortunately for Lancashire, both batsmen fell within quick succession, but there was little respite for the hosts as Ben Stokes added a brisk 24 on his return from International duties to see Durham to close of play with two wickets in hand.