IF Kumar Sangakkara had written the script for how to acclimatise to English conditions it presumably would not have involved spending five sessions in the field then getting out second ball.

With two matches for Durham to prepare for Sri Lanka’s tour, he had the chance to play a big innings in response to Yorkshire’s 589 for eight. But he was out of luck as he pushed forward and edged Ryan Sidebottom to third slip, where the ball rebounded out of Kane Williamson’s hands for Adam Lyth to complete the catch.

Durham were then 70 for three, but Michael Richardson dug in to contribute 35 to an unbroken stand of 72 with Mark Stoneman, taking the score to 142 for three at lunch with the opener on 87.

Scott Borthwick departed for two, lbw to Tim Bresnan as he and Sidebottom succeeded where Durham had failed in bowling with probing accuracy.

There wasn’t quite the same threat from the change bowlers, Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett, but leg-spinner Adil Rashid was straight on the spot when he came on for the 41st over.

Stoneman began the day by clipping Sidebottom sweetly to the mid-wicket boundary in the first over to complete a 54-ball half-century, easily the most fluent of the match.

He had to throttle back and when Bresnan returned for a second spell the left-hander was twice beaten on 76, surviving a big appeal for caught behind. Bresnan had bowled 14 overs for 15 runs until Stoneman leg-glanced him for four just before lunch.