WHERE Durham failed yesterday, lowly Worcestershire succeeded by bowling the right length on a cloudy morning, reducing their visitors to a shambolic 73 for six.

Scott Borthwick stood firm on 31 at lunch, but expectations of a substantial first innings lead soon began to look as wide of the mark as some of Durham's bowling.

Their hopes of survival in the rest of the match will not be helped by the sight of several balls keeping low.

The strongly-built Joe Leach took the first three wickets in an impressive nine-over spell. Keaton Jennings drove at an away swinger and edged low to second slip for 12 and his opening partner Mark Stoneman departed for 13.

He was aiming to drive through mid-on when his off and middle stumps were splattered and at 37 for two Paul Collingwood went in, promoting himself two places up the order.

This was presumably designed to take some pressure off Michael Richardson now he is keeping wicket, but it didn't work.

Collingwood went lbw for three, playing forward to Leach, then when Charlie Morris replaced Leach, Richardson drove at a ball which was not a half volley and edged to the wicketkeeper.

This was not the situation in which Durham would have wanted Gordon Muchall to go in on his return to the side. He is at his best playing strokes, but felt obliged to dig in and was beaten several times by left-arm medium-pacer Jack Shantry, bowling to five slips.

Muchall was off the mark with a single off his first ball, but then faced a further 25 without scoring before he played back to a ball from Shantry which kept low and had him lbw.

Calum MacLeod made three before falling in the final over, trying to whip Morris to leg and getting an edge on to his pad for the ball to lob to short leg.