Durham v Surrey (LV County Championship) : Day One

IT WAS not the sort of morning when a captain prays to win the toss at Riverside yesterday, and after he gambled by choosing to bat Dale Benkenstein saw his Durham side reduced to 13 for three either side of a long break for rain.

But with the help of Mark Stoneman the captain refloated the ship on the season's first day of championship action against Surrey as both reached 58 in an unbroken stand of 131.

Only 19 balls were bowled before rain prevented a resumption until 3.30, but Durham lost Michael Di Venuto in the first over.

The man who scored 155 and 83 in the first match at Worcester last year, and followed up with 204 not out in the first home match against Kent suffered the misfortune to be run out for one.

Stoneman played the ball to silly mid-off and ran, evidently unaware of the athleticism of West Indian bowler Pedro Collins, who easily outpaced Di Venuto in his follow through to pick up and hit the stumps with the batsman well short.

Such incidents can be a test of a young batsman's mettle, and Stoneman remained unruffled.

Defensively solid, he also drove sweetly through the off side and played superbly off his legs to build on the encouraging progress he made at the end of last season.

He lost Kyle Coetzer two overs after the resumption when the Scot seemed to make a late decision to go for a punchy drive wide of off stump off left-armer Collins.

The ball flew off the edge to third slip, where Jimmy Ormond, looking a little trimmer than last year, proved surprisingly nimble in catching it by his left boot.

Neil McKenzie was quickly off the mark with an off drive for three, but without addition he was lbw two overs later aiming to play Collins through mid-wicket.

Conditions were similar to the Riverside match last season against Hampshire, which became famous for Ottis Gibson's ten-wicket haul. On that occasion Benkenstein justified his decision to bat first by making 114 after seeing his side reduced to 22 for four. He will not be able to pray for an all-ten from Liam Plunkett, the man whose all-round talent makes him best equipped to fill Gibson's boots, as he was ruled out by his side injury.

After missing last week's game against Durham UCCE because of the problem, Plunkett bowled impressively against Yorkshire on Sunday. But Durham are now giving him ten days to recover fully as there is no game next week until Friday.

With Neil Killeen preferred to Ben Harmison, it meant Paul Wiseman would be batting at number seven, so a period of consolidation was needed at 13 for three.

But Benkenstein quickly cut Collins for four and hit two more boundaries in reaching 20 off 34 balls at tea.

He was beaten a few times by pacy 19-year-old Chris Jordan, a Barbadian with a British passport whose ambition is to play for England. His tactic, however, of posting two men back on the leg side was never likely to tempt Benkenstein into an indiscretion and simply fed him a few runs.

After an over of off-spin before tea from Saqlain Mushtaq, who also now qualifies as English, Ormond came on at the Finchale End and Stoneman played the shot of the day with a perfectlytimed clip through square leg.

He hit four other boundaries in completing his third first-class half-century off 137 balls, while Benkenstein reached the target off 95 deliveries with eight fours.

SCORECARD
Durham v Surrey
At Riverside. Durham Won Toss
Durham First Innings Close
M J Di Venuto run out 1
M D Stoneman not out 58
K J Coetzer c Ormond b Collins 1
N D McKenzie lbw b Collins 3
D M Benkenstein not out 58
Extras (b1 lb6 nb16) 23
Total 3 wkts (47 overs) 144
Fall: 1-1 2-9 3-13
To Bat: P Mustard, P J Wiseman, G Onions, M
Davies, S J Harmison, N Killeen.
Bowling: Collins 15-4-49-2. Nicholson 12-4-20-
0. Jordan 8-0-25-0. Saqlain Mushtaq 4-0-17-0.
Ormond 8-1-26-0.