CAREER-best bowling by Liam Plunkett was in danger of going to waste for LV County Championship leaders Durham when they slumped to 1-3 at Riverside against Division One’s bottom club, Worcestershire.

They recovered to finish on 40-3 after the visitors were dismissed for 193, with Plunkett taking 6-63.

With the ball swinging, Durham lost wickets in successive balls to Kabir Ali without a run on the board.

Michael Di Venuto got a thick inside edge into his leg stump, then Will Smith lost his off pole.

Gordon Muchall edged Matt Mason to reserve wicketkeeper Josh Knappet, bringing in Dale Benkenstein to join Kyle Coetzer.

Daryl Mitchell and 19-year-old Dutch international Alexei Kervezee survived the new-ball spell from Callum Thorp and Mitch Claydon.

Mark Davies had Kervezee caught at second slip by Di Venuto with his ninth ball.

Plunkett was handed his first wicket by a loose shot from Mitchell, who edged to Phil Mustard, but he earned the last five wickets of the innings in a lengthy spell.

The key wickets were those of Gareth Batty and Ashley Noffke, who put on 57 after coming together at 80-5.

Batty had his off stump knocked out and Noffke departed for 50 when he skied an attempted hook to Mustard.

The last four wickets went down for six runs as Kabir (28) fended a low catch to gully, before Chris Whelan had his off stump rattled and Mason edged to third slip.