County Championship: Durham heading towards big win over Derbyshire

Brydon Carse has played nine ODIs for England

Brydon Carse gave the England selectors a nudge ahead of the Ashes by scoring his maiden first-class century and taking three wickets to put dominant Durham firmly on course for victory in their County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire.

Carse began the day needing 23 runs to reach three figures and rocketed through the gears to secure his hundred from 113 balls before Durham declared soon after on 452-9, with the paceman unbeaten on 108.

The home side then ran through the Derbyshire line-up as Matthew Potts and Ben Raine reduced the visitors to 6-4. Luis Reece top-scored with 56, but his team were made to follow-on after being skittled for 165.

Potts and Raine made further breakthroughs early on to leave Derbyshire in a world of trouble at 7-2.

Durham maintained their patience to edge their way towards their second win of the season, reducing the visitors to 92-5 at stumps, still boasting a 195-run lead at Seat Unique Riverside.

Carse came out this morning on 77 not out with his team positioned on 410-8, and he signalled his intent to bring up his century as soon as possible by dispatching Zak Chappell's first ball of the day to the fence.

Derbyshire skipper Leus du Plooy challenged Carse to penetrate the field, and the all-rounder found the gaps to surpass his previous best of 91 made last week against Glamorgan before reaching his maiden ton with a nudge into the leg-side.

Carse almost forgot to complete a second run in the midst of celebration, but comfortably made it back to acknowledge his delighted team-mates. He ended the Durham innings by clubbing Ben Aitchison over long-on for a huge six, securing maximum batting points.

Durham declared 10 minutes before lunch to leave the Derbyshire openers with an awkward over to see out, but Raine made the breakthrough to remove Billy Godleman.

Matters would only get worse for the visitors after the interval.

Potts produced a sensational over to clean bowl Haider Ali and Wayne Madsen in four deliveries before Derbyshire were reduced to 6-4 when Raine pinned Brooke Guest lbw for two.

Durham's new-ball pair struck again as Matthew Lamb and Du Plooy continued the Derbyshire procession.

It was then the turn of Carse.

The 27-year-old, who has made nine one-day international appearances for England, delivered a brute of a ball that rose sharply off the deck and Chappell could only fend meekly into the hands of Graham Clark at short-leg.

Carse notched a second to remove Aitchison before Reece and Sam Conners offered a semblance of resistance with a final-wicket stand of 68.

New loan signing Matt Parkinson claimed his first wicket to end the Derbyshire innings still trailing the hosts by 287.

Scott Borthwick enforced the follow-on, and Godleman continued his day to forget as he collected a pair, lasting only two balls before he was pinned lbw by Raine.

Potts was equally effective at removing Ali for the second time in the day as Derbyshire's openers failed to emerge beyond the second over intact again.

Madsen survived two dropped chances to put on 44 with Guest, but Carse produced another gem of a delivery to find his outside edge.

In need of stability from their skipper, Du Plooy gave his wicket away on 14, clipping a tame on-drive straight to Potts while Guest fell just before stumps for 35 to leave the visitors with a mammoth challenge to avoid an innings defeat after losing 15 wickets on day two.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.