Harris hundred puts Lancs on top at Durham

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Banks Homes Riverside (day one)

Lancashire 356-7: Harris 135*; Raine 3-71

Durham: Yet to bat

Durham 2 pts, Lancashire 3 pts

Match scorecard

Marcus Harris' second century of the season for Lancashire defied Durham's pursuit for wickets on an enthralling first day of their County Championship Division Two match.

An evenly-matched morning session was played out between the two, as Durham took three Lancashire scalps despite a series of dropped catches, with Harris one of the beneficiaries.

The Australia batter then cashed in across the afternoon and passed three figures in first-class cricket for the 35th time during the evening session, but wickets kept tumbling at the other end, with Ben Raine picking up three of them as Durham chipped away.

However, Harris remained unbeaten on 135 and Lancashire reached close on 356-7 to give the visitors the edge after day one.

Lancashire were put into bat by Durham under sunny skies at the Banks Homes Riverside and the visitors got off to a fast start, but Matthew Potts struck back for the hosts as George Balderson nicked one to second slip for 14.

Durham soon got their second as Josh Bohannon thrashed Sam Conners' first ball of the season straight to Potts at cover for five.

Conners continued to cause problems, beating the bats of Keaton Jennings and Harris on numerous occasions, but the Lancashire pair kept their wickets intact while taking run-scoring opportunities when they arose.

Jennings was then dropped twice on 26 as Kasey Aldridge failed to cling on to an edge from a Raine delivery at second slip and David Bedingham dropped him at third slip after Conners found the outside edge.

Harris was then given a second life which Durham would come to rue as Ollie Robinson dropped him on 22 after he nicked a Raine delivery. However, at the other end, Jennings' luck ran out as he chopped on to his stumps at the hands of Aldridge for 44.

After lunch, former Durham man Michael Jones (10) departed after edging a Conners delivery to third slip. But the ever-reliable Harris remained and he passed 50 for the third time this season.