Deon Kruis became the first Yorkshire bowler to take 50 wickets this season as the second half of Durham's batting was swept aside for 26 runs in 41 balls at the Scarborough Cricket Festival yesterday.

The collapse began the ball before lunch and it continued after a 16-over break for rain, the last Durham wicket going down at 414, and at the close of the third day Yorkshire were comfortably placed on 129 for two.

Kruis finished with five for 106, his second five-wicket haul in consecutive innings, and the South African paceman has now collected 51 dismissals, the most in a season for Yorkshire since Steve Kirby grabbed 67 wickets two years' ago.

Tim Bresnan played another fine supporting role in taking four for 101, to give him 42 wickets so far, and without the pair of them Yorkshire would not now be in a position to press for promotion.

Yorkshire looked to be in for another miserable day in the rain-hit match when table-toppers Durham resumed on 260 for three and Gordon Muchall and Dale Benkenstein quickly built on their overnight stand of 108, Muchall going to his 50 from 115 balls with six boundaries.

When Richard Dawson came on for his first bowl of the innings at 272 for three, Benkenstein was not long in driving him for a big six and the partnership advanced to 167 in 44 overs before Muchall chipped the first ball of a new Bresnan spell straight to John Blain at mid-on.

Benkenstein moved to his century off 155 balls with 15 fours and a six and after hooking Kruis into the pavilion enclosure he lost Gareth Breese who was unable to avoid a fine ball from Kruis which lifted off a length.

It was not until the last ball before lunch that Yorkshire gained a second bowling bonus point when Phil Mustard cut Ian Harvey low to Anthony McGrath at backward point but it must have been the beefy showers during the extended interval that really spiced up the bowling.

Liam Plunkett was caught behind off his first ball from Bresnan and Callum Thorpe was caught by Sayers diving forward at short leg to bring Kruis his 50th wicket. Benkenstein's excellent innings came to a close on 126 after he had faced 216 balls and hit 16 fours and two sixes. He drove hard at Kruis and was taken at second slip by Wood, Brad Williams being last out as he slashed at Bresnan and McGrath clung on to the catch at second slip.

Wood survived a return catch to Neil Killeen on 17 but apart from that he and Sayers encountered few problems in taking their opening stand on to 73 before Paul Collingwood struck twice in consecutive overs, pinning Wood lbw for 47 and having Sayers caught at second slip by Mike Hussey from a sharply rising delivery