Within the first 10 minutes of play Mark Stoneman had reached the fifty mark and went on to score 73 before being caught at mid wicket by Luke Blackaby off the bowling of Alex Deuchar. Gordon Muchall fell to Luc Durandt for 26 shortly after, leaving Durham 103-3.
Masood Khan’s second delivery nipped back and was played on by Dale Benkenstein, removing the middle stump bringing Ian Blackwell to the middle to join Ben Stokes.
A confident fifty from Ben Stokes, which included three boundaries and three huge sixes helped steady the Durham total but he added just one further run to his total before he was caught and bowled by Uni captain Tom Westley.
Liam Plunkett was the next man in once Durham were 198-6 following Michael Richardson’s lbw dismissal for 5 to Masood-Khan.
Plunkett and Blackwell, whose hundred came off 101 deliveries and included 14 boundaries and two sixes, put on over 200 before the latter was caught at deep square leg by Rishab Shah off Durandt for 158 (21 fours and two sixes).
Debutant Mark Wood scored 16 before he became Durandt’s third victim when he was caught by the sub. Durham were 453-8 with Mitchell Claydon joining Plunkett.
A patient innings from Plunkett saw him pass his previous career best first class score of 94 and reach the hundred mark (177 balls, nine fours) in the closing minutes of the day’s play with a quick single, despite a particularly defensive field.
At the close of play Durham were 471-8 with Plunkett 107* and Claydon 5*.