Two men with designs on replacing Graeme Swann as England’s first-choice Test spinner this summer impressed on day one of the County Champion match between Durham and the MCC in Abu Dhabi.
Leg-spinner Scott Borthwick made his Test in the final Ashes Test against Australia at Sydney and his batting talents were on display here as he struck a 50 containing 11 fours.
But it was the man who Borthwick dislodged at the MCG, Monty Panesar, who stole the limelight with a haul of 5-63 as Durham were dismissed for 248 having won the toss.
The LV= County Championship title-holders suffered an early blow when Nottinghamshire left-arm seamer Harry Gurney – fresh from a stint with England’s limited-overs squad in the Caribbean – bowled Mark Stoneman with the seventh ball of the match.
That brought Borthwick to the crease, back at number three for his county following a winter in the lower-middle order for both England and England Lions.
A more circumspect Keaton Jennings would finish as Durham’s top scorer with 64 and the opener played his part in a stand of 84 before Borthwick erred in trying to kick on from his half-century – sending Panesar to Luis Reece at midwicket.
By the time Jennings fell, also to Panesar with Prasanna Jayawardene completing the stumping, Durham were 150 for five and had already settled into an unwelcome pattern of losing wickets at regular intervals.
Usman Arshad was one of only two other batsmen to pass 20, striking five fours in a pleasing 34.
His stay was ended by Kyle Hogg, one of four scalps for the rangy Lancashire seamer who picked up from where he left off on the back of a career-best campaign in 2013.
Hogg claimed 60 first-class wickets last summer and is already well on his way with 4-35 from 17 overs ahead of the Red Rose’ return to the top flight.
Durham’s final total represented a relative salvage job after last man Chris Rushworth scored 29 in a last-wicket stand of 41 with Jamie Harrison.
The latter was left stranded on 16 as Rushworth edged behind to complete Panesar’s five-wicket haul and hand Sri Lanka gloveman Jayawardene a third victim.