Jason Gillespie has again criticised the quality of Yorkshire’s batting after a damaging second day against Durham at the Riverside today.

The county’s Australian first-team coach was disappointed with the display during the first innings of their opening LV= County Championship match against Sussex when they were bowled out for 96 just over a fortnight ago.

And it was more of the same yesterday as they slumped from 97-3 to 177 all out in response to Durham’s 237 during a rain-hit day.

“We had 38 overs to bat in pretty good conditions. It can be challenging when you do start a day like that (after a long weather interruption), but there's no excuses,” said Gillespie, who watched Graham Onions excel with 5-63.

“There was some very good bowling and some indifferent shot making. We take absolute responsibility for that.

“We’ve had a chat in the dressing room, and acknowledged that again it just wasn't good enough. We have to be better.”

Play did not start until 4.10pm, with a possible 38.1 overs left in the day.

Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom were most culpable for their dismissals, the former and latter caught pulling to deep backward square off Onions and Ben Stokes and Bresnan caught at first slip as he needlessly flashed hard at Chris Rushworth.

Yorkshire’s failings were even more frustrating given that Joe Root, who top-scored with 49, and Bairstow had looked comfortable during a 39-run alliance for the fourth wicket early in the piece yesterday.

But Onions deserves plenty of credit. The England fringe man added Root, Bairstow and Gary Ballance to his first day scalps of Adam Lyth and Andrew Gale.

The 30 year-old has now taken five wickets or more in an innings eight times in his last 25 and a bit Championship matches since returning from a career-threatening back injury at the start of 2011.

“He is a good bowler, and we have to acknowledge that,” added Gillespie, who felt the pitch was good to bat on. “But I think we could have batted better. A couple of lads contributed to their own downfall, which is something we have to strive to eliminate.

“Tomorrow is going to be our challenge and how we go about it, what our body language is and attitude too. It's very important we start well.”