Ben Sanderson produced another devastating new ball spell to give Northamptonshire the upper hand on Day 1.
Matt Coles joined the Northamptonshire squad on load from Essex, with Notts paceman Luke Wood being recalled by his home county. Coles came into the side, led by Adam Rossington, alongside Brett Hutton who replaced Josh Cobb. There was no need for a toss, Rossington electing to bowl first.
Ben Sanderson found his first of three early breakthroughs with just the third ball of the morning, Jones shouldering arms to his first ball that nipped back to clatter through off stump. It was déjà vu for Sanderson 2 overs later, Bancroft falling to the same ill-judgement to watch his off stump knocked back as well. The stumps were disturbed for a third time in the 11th over, the left handed Lees this time leaving a gate open for Sanderson to sneak through for his third wicket.
New loan signing Coles struck with his second ball in a Northamptonshire shirt, finding the edge from Harte which was well taken by a tumbling Vasconcelos at third slip. At this stage Durham were 18/4 in just the twelfth over and in desperate need of a partnership. One threatened, but was broken by Buck when he trapped Burnham in front shortly before lunch, Durham finishing the session 61/5.
Durham began to steady, albeit slowly after the interval, just 3 runs coming in the first half an hour of the afternoon session. While the batsmen never looked settled, it took 23 overs before both set batsmen fell in as many deliveries. Eckersley feathering one to keeper Rossington from Coles, before a mistimed pull from Trevaskis gave Buck his second wicket at the other end. Durham now stood 81/7 but wouldn’t lose a further wicket before the end of play. While the bowling group continued to find movement and beat the bat, Durham steadied and slowly accumulated a total, the run rate never going beyond two throughout the day.
Durham 209/7 (Sanderson 3/39, Coles 2/37)