Durham 311 and 39 for 2 (Lees 12*, Potts 2*) trail Glamorgan 365 (Root 88, Neser 62, Carlson 53, Northeast 51, Potts 4-61, Raine 4-61) by 15 runs
Resuming on 31 for 2, Glamorgan looked to make headway into Durham’s first-innings total, but were pegged back from the seventh ball of the day as Scott Borthwick took a diving catch at second slip to dismiss David Lloyd after Chris Rushworth found his outside edge. Marnus Labuschagne took 19 deliveries to get off the mark, and did not seem comfortable at the crease. His stay lasted a further three balls before he played across the line and was pinned lbw by Raine.
The lunch break came at the right time for the hosts, and Potts returned with a spring in his step to bowl Carlson with the first ball after the interval. The Durham seamer claimed his fourth of the innings as Cooke was caught down the leg-side, leaving Glamorgan reeling at 163 for 7.
However, Root and Neser stabilised the Glamorgan ranks, and the Australia international led the way with an aggressive approach. Neser capitalised on loose bowling from the home side to score a brisk fifty, his first in the County Championship, reaching the mark with a firm strike down the ground against Borthwick.
The stand between Neser and Root surpassed 100 before Raine removed Neser for 62 to give the home side hope of earning a slender lead. Root ensured that Glamorgan secured a third batting point and then advanced beyond Durham’s first-innings total.
He and Timm van der Gugten, with runner Labuschagne due to his ailing hamstring, frustrated Stokes, Carse and company in a defiant partnership of 83 for the ninth wicket. Root was on the precipice of a deserved hundred, but gave away his wicket for 88 with a loose drive off Raine, who then claimed his fourth scalp to end the Glamorgan innings.
Hogan and Neser made early inroads to remove Dickson and Petersen, handing Lloyd and his team momentum to take into day three.