Emilio Gay's 141 puts Durham in command against Lancashire on day one at Old Trafford

England opener Emilio Gay produced a high-class century as Durham took a firm grip on their Rothesay County Championship Division Two contest against Lancashire on day one at Emirates Old Trafford, closing on 355-5.

Gay's 141 was his fourth century in just 10 Championship innings this season, and two of those tons have come against Lancashire. His innings helped Durham make good on their pledge not to take their foot off the gas despite already securing the Division Two title.

Lancashire toil after Lees opts to bowl first

The shape of the day was already clear by lunch, with the visitors on 112-1 and McKinney unbeaten on 64. Alex Lees was caught behind off Tom Bailey for three in the third over of the morning, but McKinney and Gay put on an unbroken 102 by the first interval, striking 17 boundary fours on a surface that justified Lees' decision to field first.

The afternoon began badly for Durham when McKinney — who had been dropped twice before reaching 50 — played a horrendous flat-footed drive to a Bailey delivery and was caught behind by Matty Hurst for 71. The wicket ended a 114-run second-wicket stand and brought up McKinney's 1,000th first-class run of the season, but an early wicket once again proved a mere prelude to Durham's domination.

Agarwal and Gay pile on the runs

Gay was joined by India's Mayank Agarwal, who announced himself by pulling Mitch Stanley for four and six off successive balls. Gay reached his hundred off 156 deliveries with a stroke through midwicket for his 14th boundary four. Agarwal brought up his fifty off 101 balls before tea, by which point Durham were 247-2 and the third-wicket pair had added 123 to nearly double the score.

The batters continued serenely into the evening session, and it came as a surprise when Gay guided Ben Walkden straight to a precisely placed second slip, Harris, eight runs short of a second batting point. That breakthrough sparked a fine spell for Lancashire, with left-arm spinner Noman Ali removing the next two batters. Umpire Hassan Adnan judged Colin Ackermann had edged to Hurst on six, and there was no doubt about the catch at cover by Josh Bohannon that dismissed Agarwal for 66.

Late wickets offer Lancashire slim consolation

Those wickets left Durham on 306-5, but Ollie Robinson and Kasey Aldridge steered their side to a third bonus point by the close. Noman finished with figures of 2-110, while Tom Bailey claimed 2-52, as Lancashire at least salvaged something from a day in which they dropped four catches off Durham's leading scorers.

"A tough few hours for Lancashire's bowlers was eased a little when they took three wickets in the evening session, though it is doubtful whether this will assuage the pain of dropping four catches," the ECB Reporters' Network noted. Durham hold three points to Lancashire's one at the close of day one.