ENGLAND and Wales cricket board pitch inspector, Mike Denness, was called to North Marine Road today after the umpires in Yorkshire's Championship game against Durham reported that the pitch had taken spin on the first day.

Eighteen-year-old leg spinner Mark Lawson returned figures of 5-62 for Yorkshire as Durham were bowled out for 325 but it was off spinner Richard Dawson who probably got more turn.

Umpire Peter Willey said: "If there is turn on the first day it is the duty of the umpires to report it to Lord's and they decided that Mike Denness should monitor the remainder of the game."

If Yorkshire are deducted points for preparing a pitch with excessive turn on the first day, it could have disastrous consequences on their push for promotion.

They went into the match 18.5 points behind third placed Glamorgan and any reduction could make it even more difficult to catch up with the Welshmen.

Lawson's return was the best by a leg-spin bowler for Yorkshire since John Hampshire memorably claimed 7-52 against Glamorgan at Cardiff in 1963.

Hampshire, however, was only an occasional bowler, and Lawson has the distinction of being Yorkshire's first regular leg-spinner since the days of Eddie Leadbeater who played for the county between 1949-56.

Durham would have been in a sorry mess without the stylish Gordon Muchall who came in at the fall of the first wicket and was still unbeaten at the end of the innings with a career-best 142 from 206 balls with 19 fours and three sixes.

Muchall took many of his runs off Dawson - who is expected to receive his county cap later in the match - and paceman Steve Kirby.

Winning the toss, Durham made a rapid start through captain Jon Lewis and 21-year-old James Lowe as both Matthew Hoggard and Kirby were made to suffer and it was the introduction of Tim Bresnan which brought the first wicket when Lewis hit back a return catch.

Hoggard had Lowe caught at second slip by Matthew Wood but Bresnan remained the pick of the pacemen and he returned to have Australian Marcus North caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Ismail Dawood.

Muchall reached his 50 off 90 balls with nine boundaries before planting Dawson for the first of his three sixes as he and Gareth Breese added 85 in 28 overs.

Once again it was Bresnan who came to Yorkshire's aid, pinning Breese lbw on the backfoot for 35, and in the next over Lawson began his spree by gaining a similar verdict against former Yorkshire all-rounder, Gavin Hamilton.

Lawson's next wicket came when Dawood caught Phil Mustard at the second attempt and, he went on to grab three further wickets in the space of 11 balls for three runs, removing Graeme Bridge, Liam Plunkett and Neil Killeen.

Durham had dipped from 203-3 to 278-9 but Muchall and Graham Onions then cashed in on some more loose bowling by Kirby until Dawson gained his only wicket as Onions was stumped.

In reply, Wood fell lbw to Killeen but Phil Jaques reached his 50 in the final over of the day as Yorkshire closing on 89-1.

Updated: 11:29 Thursday, September 02, 2004