JONNY Bairstow and Tim Bresnan shared the highest seventh-wicket stand in county championship history when they put on an unbroken 366 against Durham at Chester-le-Street.

Before Yorkshire declared on 557 for six the pair beat the 345 shared by K S Ranjitsinhji and Billy Newham for Sussex against Essex at Leyton in 1902.

The only two higher seventh-wicket stands in first-class history were recorded in India and Australia, the latter being 371 between Mitchell Marsh and Doncaster-born Sam Whiteman for Australia A against India A at Brisbane last year.

Bairstow's unbeaten 219 beat his best of 205 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 2011, while Bresnan's 169 not out was 44 more than his 125 for England Lions against the Indians at Chelmsford in 2007.

The highest stand for any wicket against Durham was 359 between Surrey's Mark Butcher and Ian Ward at the Oval in 2000.

Bairstow and Bresnan added 110 in 19 overs after lunch before the declaration came, then runs continued to flow as Durham reached 37 in eight overs before both openers departed in the two remaining overs before tea, leaving them on 41 for two.

Durham tried nine bowlers, including Keaton Jennings, whose first ball was cut for four to take Bairstow to 200 off 244 balls. His fourth 50 came off 45 deliveries. He hit the only six of the innings with an overarm smash over square leg off a John Hastings bouncer.

Scott Borthwick managed to bowl a maiden during the afternoon carnage, but his next over went for 15, during which he dived to his left in an attempt to catch a fierce drive from Bairstow.

The leg-spinner parried it to the boundary and was left in severe pain, but by that time his team-mates could muster no sympathy.

Borthwick had to go in ten balls before tea after left-hander Jennings shaped to turn Adil Rashid's second ball, a googly, to leg and edged to Bresnan at slip. Then Mark Stoneman chopped an attempted cut off Steve Patterson into his stumps to depart for 25.