DURHAM are closing in on victory at Hove today after claiming three wickets on the final morning of their County Championship match with Sussex, including the key scalps of Matt Prior and Michael Yardy.
The two England internationals were always the most likely men to frustrate Durham's push for a much-needed win, but Ian Blackwell got rid of both before they could do too much damage.
The pair came together in the sixth over of the morning when Durham removed nightwatchman James Anyon.
It has been a strange morning in the field for the Riversiders, with a few sloppy moments and two missed run-out attempts from two of their best fielders, Will Smith and Scott Borthwick. But there have also been two fine close catches, and Mark Stoneman's off Anyon was the first of them.
Mitchell Claydon took some punishment today - the final over of his opening spell was hit for 16. But he also claimed a wicket when Anyon, on seven, fended to silly mid-off.
Still unable to get into England's one-day squad, Prior remains in the form India's Test attack could not handle. He hit a nice four through long-off from the bowling of Graham Onions, and produced a lovely pick up and pull off Claydon.
Fours either side of the wicket when Borthwick was introduced at the Sea End took him to a 66-ball 50 featuring 10 boundaries. Number 11 followed before the over was out.
His in-form captain Yardy was matching him stroke for stroke, wreaking most of the havoc in Claydon's horror over with legside boundaries. He was fortunate that when he was stranded backing up on 11, Smith shy from around shortish square leg missed the stumps.
Yardy looked just as comfortable against Borthwick, sweeping the first ball he faced against the leg-spinner for another four. Prior brought up Sussex's 200 in the same manner, halfway through the 49th over.
The shot would be his undoing, though, as it has been for so many in a match played with a mouth-wateringly short western side boundary. There was an element of slog as he went at Blackwell, and Prior was lbw for an entertaining yet unsatisfying 77.
Blackwell and Borthwick soon switched ends - Smith's off-spin getting a rare outing in the interlude. Durham are making a very encouraging habit of taking wickets with the first over of new spells, and it would happen again.
Smith took an excellent low catch at short leg with Yardy on 34 to leave Sussex in real danger at 222-7 with a little over half-an-hour until lunch.
The new batsmen also played their shots to Borthwick - wicketkeeper Ben Brown sweeping a four and Wayne Parnell a six over the head of Claydon at long-on.
Sussex finished the session on 274-7, still neeing another 247 for victory. Brown in 24 not out, while Parnell is unbeaten on 31.
There was good news for Durham elsewhere, with Somerset suffering a two-point defeat at bottom-of-the-table Hampshire. Leaders Lancashire have already lost this week, while second-placed Warwickshire's game at home to Yorkshire is going to the wire, with all three results possible.
If the releagtion-threatened Tykes can make it a hat-trick of shocks, Durham's first victory in five matches will take them back to the top of the table. The only problem is that while the Riversiders have only one game left - at home to Worcestershire - Lancashire, Warwickshire and Somerset all have two.
For a full report of today's game, plus a preview of tomorrow's CB40 semi-final at Somerset and a round-up of all today's local cricket, read this week's Sunday Sun.
