Former Nottinghamshire batsman Will Smith stood firm throughout the entire second day's play to finish unbeaten on 119 at stumps.
Smith’s gritty effort took visitors Durham to 297-6 at the halfway point of the Division One clash at Trent Bridge, a deficit of just 23 on Notts.
Wickets generally fall in clusters in early season conditions in Nottingham but that, according to coach Wayne Noon, may be a thing of the past with the new regulations in force.
“It was a tough day for the bowlers,” he said. “The heavy roller last night and again first thing this morning has done its job.
“Unfortunately that could be the theme throughout the whole year but to take some positives, we stuck to our task pretty well. They didn’t get away from us and we kept them in check pretty much but five wickets in a day is not a great return. The use of the heavy roller may be something that the hierarchy of the game need to have a look at.”
Noon, though, was full of praise for the Durham opener. “Will Smith played very well. To bat all day at Trent Bridge is an incredible effort but now we need to make sure we have a good first half hour in the morning and then have to bat well second time around. Perhaps that will create some scoreboard pressure and that might pay off but if the wicket stays the same its going to be very hard to see a result.”
Resuming on 34-1, Durham gained three early boundaries from their nightwatchman before he was dismissed.
Chris Rushworth (12) had punched a couple of fours off the bowling of Ajmal Shahzad but then chased a slightly wider delivery and snicked the ball through to Chris Read.
Shahzad came close to adding another scalp but Scott Borthwick’s edge brushed the finger-tips of either Alex Hales or Graeme Swann on its way down to the third man fence.
Will Smith, without a century in his previous 24 first class innings at Trent Bridge, began watchfully as Notts started with Shahzad and Luke Fletcher, with Stuart Broad introduced into the attack after half an hour of play.
Graeme Swann began with a tidy maiden when he was introduced into the attack at the start of the 28th over but moments later Notts enjoyed success at the other end. Borthwick (16) fished at Fletcher and Read took his second catch of the day.
The dismissal brought Dale Benkenstein to the crease and the 38-year old began in a hurry, with a flurry of boundaries and a mighty six off Swann.
Despite the distraction of a loud and lengthy fire alarm sounding from the Radcliffe Road Stand the pair added a quickfire 38 before a hunch from Read paid off.
The Notts skipper introduced Steven Mullaney into the attack and his second over saw Benkenstein (27) given out lbw by Peter Willey.
Smith reached his fifty (130 balls, 6x4) during the early stages of the afternoon session, only his fourth on the ground in 25 innings.
His latest partner Paul Collingwood clearly relished the battle with Nottinghamshire’s two England bowlers when they bowled in tandem.
The Durham skipper strokedfour boundaries as his partnership with Smith brought up a first batting point and had been stretched to 61 by tea.
Pressing on afterwards Collingwood reached his fifty (119 balls 5x4) but then became involved in a really gripping passage of play as Broad tore in with the second new ball.
The duel eventually went the way of the Notts man as he found an outside to end Collingwood’s innings on 64 and break the 115-run stand.
Smith reached his century in just under six hours (270 balls, 13x4) and remained unbeaten at the close, having been on the field throughout the first two days of the match.