Date-stamped : 27 Apr97 - 06:17 New season comes as boon to some By Clive Ellis at Old Trafford First day of four: Lancashire (494-9) v Durham DAVID BOON and Mike Watkinson presided over a day of such unflagging entertainment value that one could only conclude that they had both attended winter refresher courses in positive thinking. Boon, newly installed as the man who would bring respectability to Durham cricket, persisted stubbornly with attacking fields. Until, that was, Watkinson came in to spark a hectic afternoon session which yielded 213 runs. His own contribution to the mayhem was a vivid half century off 23 balls. The result, after Glen Chapple and Peter Martin had inflicted a series of late body blows on the Durham attack in an unbroken last-wicket stand of 134 in 19 overs, was the foundation for what would be Lancashire`s first championship win at Old Trafford since Aug 1995. In other circumstances Lancashire`s four-an-over progress before lunch on a pitch of reasonable pace would have seem perfectly respectable. Mike Atherton edged a lifting ball down the leg side in John Wood`s first over, but Jason Gallian took full advantage of Boon`s refusal to post a third man as shots regularly careered through or over the slips. Gallian fell within sight of his century, leaving Graham Lloyd and Watkinson to add 90 for the fifth wicket in eight overs. Watkinson carted Wood for two big on-side sixes and Lloyd, fresh from his spectacular 225 in the non-championship match against Yorkshire, cut and pulled with quick-eyed precision to make 102 of 80 balls. Boon had no option but to adopt a more defensive stance. Medium-pacer Paul Collingwood, the sixth bowler used, brought temporary relief with the wickets of Lloyd, Ian Austin and Warren Hegg, only for Chapple and Martin to build towards a horribly painful final hour and a half for Durham. Chapple completed his fifty off 62 balls and Martin took just 45 balls to reach his. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) ===========================>Day 2 Boon left to carry Durham innings By Clive Ellis at Old Trafford Second day of four: Durham (201-6) trail Lancashire (506) by 305 runs DAVID BOON`S role yesterday was one which may become uncomfortably familiar as the season unfolds: unflappable accumulator amid general chaos. Boon was introduced to the ill-disciplined trait in Durham`s out-cricket on the first day and though the suffering inflicted by Glen Chapple and Peter Martin in a last-wicket stand of 146 was curtailed in the second over yesterday, the relief was only temporary. It will be hard for the new Durham captain to decide in which batting position he best serves his team`s needs. He has plumped for No 5 here and entered the fray at 71 for two when John Morris retired with a split thumb after being hit by Ian Austin. Boon was calmness personified as he averted a complete collapse in making 85 not out, already the highest score by a Durham captain in more than five seasons of championship combat. There were 11 punchy fours to admire and a six over long-on off spinner Gary Yates. Durham`s other new recruits, Jon Lewis, Nick Speak and Martin Speight, met with mixed fortunes. Lewis cut fluently to make 44 in an opening stand of 57 with Paul Collingwood, Speak struggled to an unconvincing 21 in 20 overs against his former colleagues, and Speight did an uneasy impression of strokeless defiance for almost an hour. Morris made an abortive attempt to return to the crease, only to retire for a second time, but Lancashire too were depleted when captain Mike Watkinson went off midway through the afternoon session with an arm injury. Chapple`s figures of two for 95 from 23.2 overs were misleading as he bowled with immense enthusiasm and no little skill. Yorkers accounted for both Lewis and Melvyn Betts, severely flattered by his No 7 slot, and he also induced one of Boon`s few false strokes, when he top-edged a hook over the head of wicketkeeper Warren Hegg. The less threatening Martin recorded Lancashire`s last success of a day deprived of 25 overs by bad light when he had James Boiling caught in the slips. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)