Durham let Warwickshire off the hook

Four wickets for the improving Graham Onions had the hosts looking vulnerable on 236 for six, but Keith Barker treats meetings with Durham as though all his birthdays have come at once.

He survived two chances to drive, carve and clobber his way to 86 not out, sharing a stand of 94 with Ricky Clarke and an unbroken one of 85 with Jeetan Patel as Warwickshire reached 417 for seven at the close.

Given that Barker came to the crease after John Hastings surprised Tim Ambrose with extra bounce, it was surprising that the left-hander did not receive the sort of barrage to which he has succumbed in the past.

Similarly, Durham waited until Jonathan Trott had cruised to 30 before Hastings tried to pepper him with short stuff, having come in with Warwickshire wobbling on 18 for two after choosing to bat.

They again looked vulnerable when Trott departed for 42 straight after lunch, with the ball suddenly swinging more under increased cloud cover, which prompted the floodlights to be switched on for the rest of the day.

But although the good balls beat the bat Durham did not perform with the sustained accuracy which would have brought greater rewards, allowing opener Ian Westwood to share a fourth-wicket stand of 106 with Laurie Evans.

Onions conceded 12 off his first seven balls and was still struggling to find his old accuracy until his third spell. But it may have worked in his favour as his best balls carried the element of surprise.

The best of the lot certainly surprised Westwood, who began the season with 196 against Yorkshire and chugged along solidly yesterday to reach 88 before having his defence breached by a bail-trimmer.

Onions' ups and downs were illustrated when his first ball after lunch flew down the leg side for four wides and two balls later he had Trott lbw.

His other two wickets resulted from batsmen flirting with balls they should have left and edging to Phil Mustard. Evans was particularly culpable after making 45.

He is one of a dwindling band of Durham University graduates who are making some kind of mark in the county game, although he probably wouldn't have played here had Sam Hain been fit.

Westwood played only two aggressive shots all morning until he drove and pulled two fours off Chris Rushworth in the last over before lunch.

The little left-hander had made 11 off 50 balls when he picked up Hastings for six behind square and a miscued pull off Paul Collingwood carried for four.

Westwood was not without luck as he edged two fours in an over off Paul Coughlin before Durham posted a third man.

Returning in place of Mark Wood, Coughlin had a chastening day. He and the slip cordon were convinced he had Trott caught behind in an impressive first spell of the day, only for ten runs to come off the over as the ex-England man twice drove him to the boundary in front of mid-wicket.

Coughlin also saw a fierce slash by Evans edged low to Calum MacLeod's left hand in one of two sharp gully chances which the Scot was unable to hang on to.

The other came immediately after Barker had edged Hastings through Collingwood's hands just above his head at first slip. Durham's nemesis was on 16 at the time and raced to 50 off 58 balls, which included a straight six in the first of Scott Borthwick's two costly overs.

Warwickshire were 325 for six when the new ball was taken and Chris Rushworth immediately had Clarke lbw for 36, although by tapping the top of his pad the batsman indicated he felt it would have gone over the top.

The ball wasn't swinging in the evening chill, however, and Patel had the audacity to drive Rushworth for a straight six as he and Barker went for their shots and rode their luck.

Durham will have to pray that Barker has used up all his luck with the bat. If not they will be facing a third successive Edgbaston mauling.