GORDON Muchall and Usman Arshad shone under the Ageas Bowl floodlights as they took their stand to 128 on a gloomy morning.

Arshad made an impressive 60 before nicking Gareth Berg to first slip but Muchall was still there on 140 when Durham reached lunch on 399 for seven. Having lost four wickets on the first morning they have lost only three since in passing their previous highest first innings total of the season, 380 at Somerset in the opening match.

Muchall, 85 overnight, completed his 14th first-class century in the style which again suggested there should have been many more since making his first at Lord's in 2002.

The vast majority have come in the south. His last home hundred was also the last time he scored two in a season, five years ago.

This was much less fluent than his century at Arundel last month, spanning 229 balls. But it was what the team needed when he went in at 91 for four.

He middled nearly everything this morning, only to hit a lot of shots at fielders as Arshad scored the bulk of the early runs.

The youngster was particularly strong through the off side off the back foot, cutting two successive balls from Jackson Bird for four as Durham achieved the third batting point in the 103rd over. That didn't leave enough time for the fourth and they were on 326 at the 110-over cut-off.

Muchall also scored a lot of his runs behind square on the off side, including the front-foot shot off Bird which beat backward point for his tenth four to bring up his hundred.

It is his second century in Hampshire following his 140 not out at Basingstoke five years ago.

John Hastings was on four when he lifted left-arm spinner Liam Dawson over mid-wicket for six. He was on 17 at lunch and Durham will welcome a few more quick runs.

*Durham pair Jack Burnham and Adam Hickey are in the England Under 19 one-day squad for five matches against Australia.

The first is at South Northumberland CC on August 11, which follows the only four-day match, at Emirates Durham ICG on August 4-7.