Northamptonshire’s bowlers were frustrated by Durham’s lower order as the visitors took control at Wantage Road.

Tailenders Potts and Trevaskis added 149 for the penultimate wicket – a Durham record against Northamptonshire and one shy of the outright best against any county.

For both the 22-year-olds it meant their highest first-class scores – Potts scored 81 while Trevaskis was left unbeaten on 77.

Their contributions, coupled with Scott Borthwick’s 73 and 40-odds for Graham Clark and Coughlin, gave Durham a 217 run first-innings lead, which Northamptonshire knocked down to 207 during a nervy four-over spell under the floodlights.

Tight bowling was rewarded for Northamptonshire on a slow-paced morning, Kerrigan landing the ball in the footmarks to generate significant turn to bowl Scott Borthwick – who departed for 73 following a 93-run stand with Clark.

Clark had been unspectacular on a pitch that largely required hard graft to score, with only two offside boundaries, before he was bowled around his legs for 42 when attempting to paddle sweep Kerrigan.

Durham claimed their lead shortly before lunch as Coughlin and Raine bedded in using the time-honoured tactic of waiting for bad balls – typified with 44 of their shared 80 runs coming as a result of boundaries.

They fell in fairly quick succession against a newish second ball; Coughlin nicked to first slip where Vasconcelos held on, and Raine was bowled on the angle by peach from Ben Sanderson.

After tea, Potts and Trevaskis showed intensity, with regular quick singles upping the scoring rate before Potts twice lifted over deep midwicket and into the gardens of the Wellingborough Road houses.

Trevaskis moved to the fourth half-century in 21 first-class innings in 74 balls before moving past his previous high of 64.

Potts also reached the milestone, with a flick off his legs to the boundary, in 103 deliveries, while making a mockery of his previous high of 53 with another six – this time straight back down the ground.

He was castled by Sanderson to end the stand – which was comfortably better than the 87 Dean Jones and Simon Hughes had amassed in 1992 – before Chris Rushworth chipped to mid-on as the away side were bowled out for 400.