Yorkshire completely outgunned Durham on the first day of the County Championship match yesterday but there was still the worry at the back of their minds at the end of it that Headingley might receive a visit from the ECB's Inspector of Pitches.

With a total of 16 wickets crashing in the day, umpires Nigel Plews and Kevin Lyons were forced to report the fact to Lord's and although the pitch was never in the least dangerous, the inconsistent bounce later on - particularly for bowlers at the Kirkstall Lane end - may have persuaded them that it should be officially examined.

If it is inspected and its preparation is found to be unsuitable for first class cricket or its condition is considered poor, Yorkshire could be docked up to 25 points but that is unlikely to happen. Cracks, however, have appeared on the pitch and it may have become too dry, possibly through its preparation time being affected by priority having to be given to World Cup pitches.

Winning the toss on a warm morning, Durham were fired out for a derisory 114 in only 37 overs but their demise was due almost entirely to a combination of fine swing bowling and poor batting with Matthew Hoggard turning in an exceptionally good opening spell which quickly had Durham on the rack.

Hoggard turned Michael Gough round in his first over to have him caught at gully by Anthony McGrath and any thoughts that Durham skipper David Boon would add his name to the list of Australians to have taken centuries off Yorkshire this season soon vanished when he edged Silverwood to Richard Blakey to depart second ball.

Durham continued to mix the loss of wickets with fiercely struck boundary shots but Hoggard soon had Jon Lewis and John Morris edging catches and when Jimmy Daley fell lbw to Ryan Sidebottom it was 59 for five. Silverwood picked up two more wickets as the slump continued and McGrath was surprisingly introduced to the attack to dismiss Melvyn Betts with the last ball before lunch when Durham were 101 for eight, Craig White polishing them off soon after the interval.

Michael Vaughan was unable to add a century to the two he scored at Chelmsford, being lbw in Simon Brown's second over, but Greg Blewett and David Byas flogged some pretty ordinary new-ball bowling until John Wood came on and had Blewett lbw pushing forward for 34.

Byas, however, was again in formidable form, driving strongly through mid-wicket and punishing anything loose. He reached his fourth half century in as many matches and had galloped on to 68 from just 80 balls with nine fours when he dragged Wood into his stumps.

Matthew Wood was out cutting at his namesake and McGrath was given not out when he clipped a ball on to the helmet Lewis was wearing at short leg and it cannoned back to Wood but a batsman cannot be legitimately caught off a fielder's protective headgear.

Soon McGrath was dominating a 50 stand with White who contributed 12 before Brown returned to have him caught behind, but McGrath steamed on to his half-century and had reached 62 off 112 balls with seven fours when he stepped in front to Wood to become the day's sixth lbw victim.

Blakey played some forceful strokes in his unbeaten 21 and Silverwood stayed with him until the close when Yorkshire had moved smartly on to 231 for six in 65 overs to enjoy a lead of 117.

Yorkshire hit by double blow

Yorkshire's injured pair Paul Hutchison and Richard Harden have both suffered setbacks in their battle to clear up injuries, writes David Warner.

Hutchison, who is recovering from a stress reaction in his back which caused him to cut short his England A tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa last winter, strained a ligament in the same area earlier this week while taking four for 13 in Yorkshire Seconds one-day match against Derbyshire Seconds at Doncaster.

The left-arm swing bowler is now having to rest up for a few days before returning to action and he will miss out with Pudsey St Lawrence this weekend and Yorkshire Seconds at Duffield on Monday.

"My stress reaction problem has entirely cleared up now and the latest trouble has possibly been caused by trying to put too much into my bowling too soon," said Hutchison.

"I was feeling in great form and it is very frustrating to be sidelined again but hopefully it will not be too long this time."

Harden saw a specialist this week about the hand he damaged while batting against Gloucestershire in Yorkshire's first match of the season.

An X-ray revealed that one of the fractures had still not mended properly and he will have to wait until Monday week for a further progress report.

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