Durham have stamped their authority on the first day’s proceedings at Scarborough thanks to a dominant afternoon session with the bat.
Mark Stoneman completed an excellent 122, which included 23 fours and a six, before Ben Stokes pressed on towards his first hundred of the year, reaching 92 not out as Durham advanced from 117-3 from 30 overs at lunch to 265-4 from 34 at tea.
The pair shared 128 inside 28 overs for the fourth wicket either side of lunch and Stokes and captain Paul Collingwood have shared 70 unbroken for the fifth.
The only wicket to fall in the afternoon was Stoneman, caught behind playing loosely at Sidebottom to leave the score at 195-4. It was the left-arm swing bowler’s 600th first-class wicket.
The opening day is being watched by an impressive crowd of 5,500.
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