TRENT Bridge fans are not used to this. Normally runs flow and wickets fall, but in the afternoon session Durham added 66 runs for the loss of Ben Stokes.

Will Smith is still there, having faced 211 balls for 73, and Paul Collingwood has contributed 39 to the total of 209 for five.

There was a bit of a flurry in the last few overs, with Smith clipping Samit Patel’s left-arm spin through mid-wicket for his ninth four, while Collingwood clobbered him over mid-on then glanced Steven Mullaney to the fine leg boundary.

Durham still trail by 111 and know they need a substantial lead as the spin of Graeme Swann and Patel will be even more difficult to counter in the second innings.

Collingwood was almost bowled when he tried to break Swann’s grip by hitting him over mid-wicket. The off-spinner has bowled 17 overs for 39 runs but has yet to take a wicket.

Other than his 100 at Taunton, Smith didn’t reach 50 last season prior to being dropped for the last two games. And before this game his aggregate for this season was 62 from six innings, but the longer he bats here the more secure he looks.

Stokes fell for 11, lobbing a return catch to Stuart Broad off the leading edge when trying to turn him to leg off the back foot.