THE loss of Mark Stoneman when in full cry in the day's penultimate over was a big blow to Durham on the first day of their LV County Championship match against Sussex at Chester-le-Street.

The left-hander had stroked nine fours and a six in scorching to 50 off 54 balls, only to follow his opening partner Keaton Jennings (35) in edging a ball from man-of-the-moment Oliver Robinson to first slip.

Durham will resume on 103 for two, 232 behind, hoping someone can follow the example set by Robinson in making his debut century.

Stoneman and Jennings had 88 on the board inside 16 overs, which was a replica of Sussex's second-wicket stand.

On a sunny morning they reacted in cavalier fashion to being inserted and losing a wicket to the third ball, when Graham Onions had Chris Nash caught behind.

Scotland's Matt Machan immediately began peppering the boards and scored the first 18 runs before Irishman Ed Joyce got off the mark with a six hooked over the short long leg boundary off Chris Rushworth. The batsmen then either missed or middled as they rode their luck before both departed on 88.

It took an excellent spell by John Hastings to apply the brake and he had Machan lbw for 43 before Joyce slapped an Usman Arshad long hop straight to backward point.

Craig Cachopa edged a good ball from Hastings to Mustard in the penultimate over before lunch and with the help of some loose shots wickets continued to fall regularly, eight going down for 83 before Robinson and last man Matt Hebdn came together.

Robinson looked totally assured and took command as Hebdon contributed only three to the 50 stand before he, too, began to play shots.

While Robinson obviously likes to get on the front foot, he was skilful enough to drop his hands at the last second and run the ball to third man, where several of his 18 fours came.

The one which took him to 50 off 48 balls was a sliced drive off Hastings which flew just wide of third slip and he immediately enjoyed another slice of fortune.

He drove the ball back to Hastings, who threw down the stumps and video evidence suggested Robinson was lucky not to be given run out.

At that point Paul Collingwood gambled by bringing on himself and Scott Borthwick, but his attempts to persuade Hobdon to sky a leg-side catch resulted in the No 11 pulling him for him for six and four.

With both batsmen now in full cry, Hastings was recalled and tried to bounce them out. A couple of miscued pulls lobbed into space and Hebden fended one delivery just over short leg's head, but it was all meat and drink to Robinson.

He completed his century off 101 balls by pulling his 17th four off Rushworth, who had enjoyed a spell of three for five in 13 balls in early afternoon.

Cricket's regulations were made to look silly when tea was delayed because nine wickets were down when the stand was already worth 113.

Hebdon, with a total of 50 runs in ten previous first-class innings, also pulled Rushworth for four to reach 50 off 65 balls, then drove his second six.

It was Arshad, who had replaced the injured Paul Coughlin, who finally broke the stand, having Robisnon caught at gully with the second ball after tea, to finish with the best figures of three for 41.

When the last-wicket heroes came on as Sussex's first and second change bowlers they conceded 50 between them in their first five overs.

But Robinson found some extra bounce to remove both openers, leaving Rushworth to see out the day as the nightwatchman in partnership with Borthwick.