The start of play was delayed until after lunch due to rain showers all morning with 24 overs lost of the day’s play.
When Durham did eventually get out in the middle they lost Michael Di Venuto to the first delivery of the third over when he was caught behind off Glenn Chapple for six.
Will Smith and Gordon Muchall put on fifty before gloomy conditions saw the players taken off the field by the umpires as bad light stopped play.
The break in play benefitted the visitors taking two wickets in quick succession, that of Will Smith who was caught behind off Luke Procter for 30, and Muchall (54) out lbw to Tom Smith having scored his fifty from 58 balls, including nine boundaries.
Durham were 94-3 when Dale Benkenstein joined Ben Stokes in the middle and the pair batted swiftly to add a partnership of over 100 which saw then both pick up their fifties, Stokes reaching his first, off 94 balls including and six boundaries followed by Benkenstein who faced the same number of balls but hit one less four.
Stokes was dropped at slip by Paul Horton on 84 with seven overs remaining of the day’s play, an error that could prove to be costly especially with the nineteen year old having weighed up the field before the final delivery of the day and then smashing a 13th boundary to bring up his third first class hundred of the season, off 149 balls.
Durham will return to the crease on day three on 279-3 with Dale Benkenstein 67* and Ben Stokes 100*, trailing Lancashire’s first innings total by 34.
At the close of play durhamccc.co.uk spoke to Gordon Muchall, “Me and Will didn’t make a conscious effort to go as fast as we did, the ball was nipping around a bit and it was an attacking field but unfortunately neither of us could go on but Dale Benkenstein and Ben Stokes put on a really good partnership and if they can continue this tomorrow we could be in a really strong position.
“It was a nice end to the day for us to see Ben hitting the ball through extra cover off the back foot to get his hundred, he played brilliantly and well, Dale seems to be doing well every week at the minute. He is a calming influence, it lets Ben score his runs quickly and Dale steadying the ship, hopefully it will be a match winning partnership.
“Everyone is pitching in with the runs at the minute, we’ve obviously had some good opening stands which helps the guys coming in afterwards, everyone is hitting the ball pretty well at the minute. ’m happy how things are going for me, another fifty is good, obviously I’d like more hundreds but today I was happy to contribute.”