ALTHOUGH Will Smith departed for 85 just before tea, it was only the third wicket Durham had taken in the day in what continues to be a stalemate.

The follow-on has been avoided with Hampshire on 278 for six, 143 behind, and unless Durham polish them off quickly they will not have sufficient time to force a win without co-operation in setting up a last-day chase.

There was a glimmer of hope when Chris Rushworth struck with the first delivery with the new ball.

Joe Gatting pushed forward and edged to Paul Collingwood for 42, but the ball hardly swung on a sunny, breezy day and there was no further joy.

Wicketkeeper Lewis McManus, a 20-year-old from Dorset playing his second first-class game, showed he can bat in reaching 25 at tea.

Smith added only five in the first ten overs after lunch then drove Rushworth through extra cover for four and cut Graham Onions to the third man boundary.

That was a rare flourish as he ground along before his 212-ball innings ended when he tried to sweep Scott Borthwick and was adjudged lbw by Indian exchange umpire C K Nandan.

Gareth Berg hit Borthwick for four through the covers off the back foot to avoid the follow-on.