MARK Stoneman and Ben Stokes both hit centuries as Durham fought back against Yorkshire on day one of their top-of-the-table LV= County Championship clash at Scarborough.
An early double strike by Ryan Sidebottom got Yorkshire off to a great start, but the visitors, for whom Paul Collingwood made an unbeaten 74, closed in a strong position on 406 for six.
Durham started the match 25.5 points behind the Championship leaders with a game in hand and knowing victory would throw the race to the line wide open.
That task became harder when Sidebottom claimed two wickets in three balls in the morning, Keaton Jennings and Scott Borthwick both falling lbw without scoring, leaving Durham on five for two.
But Stoneman, who made 122, featuring 23 fours and a six, and Stokes, who hit 127, swung the match back in their side’s favour.
Sussex’s hopes of a late title charge were dealt a blow by the loss of cheap wickets against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
After opening up with a partnership of 121 by Chris Nash (59) and Luke Wells (65), they lost seven wickets in making the next 74 runs against a much-weakened attack in which emergency loanee Maurice Chambers took three for 51 in 21 overs.
It was only a timely intervention by Chris Jordan, who made an unbeaten 58 in his first innings since his selection for England’s one-day squad that got them up to 278 for seven at the close.
Somerset’s hopes of avoiding relegation from Division One were boosted by a lower-order fightback against Middlesex at Lord’s.
Alex Barrow (65) and Piyush Chawla (58 not out) put on an eighth-wicket stand of 107 to help Somerset reach 328 for eight at the close.
In Division Two, Lancashire made 296 for eight against Hampshire at Southport, helped by half-centuries from Luis Reece, Ashwell Prince and Luke Procter.
Proctor was unbeaten on 65 at the close, while Reece made 50 and Prince 63.
Hampshire’s attack included 16-year-old off-spinner Brad Taylor, who became the youngest player ever to represent the county in the Championship and finished with figures of nought for 42 off eight overs.
Greg Smith’s first Championship century for Essex guided the visitors to 333 for seven against Gloucestershire at Bristol.
The 30-year-old South African hit an unbeaten 149.
There was a third Championship ton of the season for Ned Eckersley as Leicestershire recovered from a shaky start to reach 270 for seven against Worcestershire at Grace Road.
Eckersley made 106 off 249 balls, with captain John Cobb contributing 44 to a fifth-wicket stand of 92 with Eckersley. Steven Crook took four wickets for 66 as Northamptonshire bowled out Glamorgan for 241 at Wantage Road.
David Willey chipped in with three for 54 before promotion-chasing Northants closed on 85 without loss. (PA Sport)