DURHAM had to play the patience game at the Ageas Bowl this morning, taking only one wicket as Hampshire dug in for dear life.

It isn't going to save the hosts from relegation, but their only hope in this match is to hang on grimly for a draw. They added 40 runs in the first 26 overs before Ryan Pringle relinquished his control and Graham Onions, still out of sorts, leaked a few runs.

The next five overs yielded 31 runs as Hampshire reached 192 for four at lunch, 229 behind, with Will Smith still there on 61.

Despite fielding an 18-year-old debutant leg-spinner, the hosts opted to play on a slow turner and struggled against Pringle.

He bowled two overs from the pavilion end then switched and immediately had Michael Carberry in trouble.

He beat the left-hander twice then found his edge for Paul Collingwood to take the catch.

That came during a mid-morning spell in which six runs were scored in six overs before Smith broke the shackles when Pringle dropped short.

The ex-Durham captain pulled the off-spinner for the first four for ten overs and repeated it in his next over to reach 50 off 119 balls.

Durham gave Scott Borthwick a ten-over spell at the start of the day, in which his first eight cost only 16 before 12 came off the final two.

Carberry moved on from his overnight 57 to 73 and on his exit ex-Sussex right-hander Joe Gatting found Pringle easier to handle, driving him over long-on for six in reaching 22 at lunch.