County Championship: Resolute Di Venuto Shows Thirst for Runs After Bollinger's Early Fizz

At least the first ball of this campaign did not hit second slip but work on Steve Harmison's radar is still in progress. The England one-day refusnik worked up a decent pace in two evening spells at New Road yesterday but ended wicketless and very much second best to an Australian reject.

Michael di Venuto, cast aside after nine one-day internationals, made an undefeated and error-free 155 for Durham before eight Harmison overs made life uncomfortable and unpredictable for the batsmen. Then Steven Moore replied with boundaries cut through square and driven through extra cover. Other than that Durham's day was dominated by Di Venuto, a Tasmanian playing for his third English county.

Seemingly unwanted after six seasons at Derbyshire, he has moved on, taking his runs with him. Not many Durham openers carry their bats on debut but Di Venuto was at the wicket for 316 minutes and for much of it seemed to be playing the swinging ball in a manner foreign to other Durham batsmen.

Worcestershire's own debutant Australian, Doug Bollinger, was the first to cash in on the conditions, trapping Will Smith lbw and then getting Gordon Muchall to edge to the keeper. Bollinger's first six overs, bowled at nippy pace, cost him 21, though Di Venuto took more of a shine to the Sydneysider when he returned before lunch.

By then Di Venuto was well on his way to pleasing his new employers, claiming 78 of the 144 runs scored in the session while wickets fell, both to Nadeem Malik, at the other end.

Philip Mustard hung on long enough to help add 66, the highest stand of the innings but, when he was lbw offering no shot to Kabir Ali, three batting bonus points looked a long way off. However, Di Venuto pressed on untroubled.

Last year against Worcestershire the 33-year-old was run out one short of a century at Derby. Yesterday his 40th first- class hundred - off 141 balls and including 18 fours - was merely the start. Seven more boundaries followed and, thanks to an entertaining 30 from Harmison, 24 more than his batsman brother, Ben, the innings which had looked on its knees at 183 for six ended with an aura of respectability - especially when Ottis Gibson's three late wickets left Worcestershire wobbling and 203 behind.