Tahir prospers at the Riverside

Warwickshire 224 and 111 for 3 v Durham 288 and 289
Scorecard

An unbroken stand of 65 between Jim Troughton and 18-year-old Ateeq Javid carried Warwickshire to 111 for 3, 243 short of victory, at the close of the third day at Chester-le-Street. Playing his first County Championship game since his debut at the same ground last season, the diminutive Javid went to the crease with his side in some trouble at 46 for 3.

He was lucky on 24 when Durham brought back Steve Harmison and a mistimed pull lobbed between two fielders. Otherwise Javid looked secure in reaching 30 alongside Troughton (38) to keep their side in with a shout of victory.

Earlier legspinner Imran Tahir followed up his eight-wicket haul against Durham at Edgbaston by taking 6 for 69 as the hosts were dismissed for 289. Durham had 38 overs to bowl and might have fancied a three-day win when Harmison struck with the second ball of the innings, Warwickshire captain Ian Westwood edging low to third slip's left, where Dale Benkenstein dived to hold a fine catch.

But the pitch had eased after favouring the seamers for the first five sessions and makeshift No. 3 Ant Botha settled comfortably, making 33 in a stand of 39 with the struggling Darren Maddy.

A lively burst from Mitch Claydon saw off both. Extra bounce had Botha caught behind, then Maddy, who had made six in 20 overs, shuffled across his stumps and was lbw. With rain forecast for today Durham went for their shots from the start when they resumed on 78 without loss, leading by 142.

Michael Di Venuto was at his fluent best as he added 61 runs in 55 balls to his overnight 31 against a seam attack robbed off Andrew Miller by a foot injury. Mark Stoneman was 15 ahead of his partner on 46, but when he was out for 60 Di Venuto was on 88.

Both fell to Tahir, who took most of his wickets with googlies. He bowled the first over of the day to permit a change of ends and on his return he had Stoneman lbw with his first ball, then Di Venuto was taken at short leg for 92.

When Benkenstein played across a ball of almost yorker length from Rikki Clarke and lost his off stump three wickets had gone down for eight runs. Gordon Muchall and Ian Blackwell put on 35 but wickets then fell regularly, with Tahir taking four of the last five as well as holding a a sensational one-handed running catch at deep square leg to get rid of Ben Stokes.