Callum Thorp opened the bowling for Durham and picked up the first wicket, trapping Nic Pothas lbw for 50 in the third over. Then Stokes rattled through the tail taking three wickets in five balls, trapping Cork lbw on 15, followed by Briggs, who was caught behind two deliveries later without scoring.
Stokes claimed the remaining scalp, taking his haul in the innings to 6-68 and picking up the final bonus point for the team, when he bowled Jones (0) leaving Hampshire all out for 294, 179 behind Durham’s first innings total.
Simon Jones left the field with a suspected groin injury after just one over reducing Hampshire’s chances of making an early impact in the field.
Scott Borthwick was the first man dismissed with the Durham total at 45 when he was caught by de Wet in the deep off Ervine for 13.
Hampshire picked up Di Venuto’s (40) wicket at the end of the morning session, signalling the lunch break, thanks to a nifty catch from Neil McKenzie in the slips, off Briggs, leaving Durham 82-2 at the interval.
Muchall and Stokes persevered in the middle and a boundary from the former guided Durham past the 150 mark. Shortly after physio Nigel Kent was required on the field after the pair collided running between the wickets in the 35th over.
Both received attention but soldiered on and within four overs both had fifties under their belt, Stokes off 57 balls and Muchall off 78 balls, both hitting eight boundaries.
Muchall fell in the 41st over, caught and bowled by Myburgh for 52 with Benkenstein coming in with Durham 170-3.
Stokes passed the 1000 first class career runs mark and went on to score his third first class century for Durham from 135 deliveries including thirteen fours and a six.
Having impressed with his all-round performance he went to amaze, hitting Dawson for five consecutive sixes in one over, causing some serious interest in the press box.
Durham eventually declared on 310, with a lead of 489, Stokes (135*) and Benkenstein (55*) both unbeaten.
Stephen Harmison returned to open the bowling alongside Callum Thorp but was unable to bowl through the pain and returned to the pavilion after bowling three overs. Plunkett and Stokes attempted to try and pick up a wicket followed by a two pronged spin attack from Blackwell and Borthwick but Durham were unable to pick up a wicket before the end of play.
At the close, Hampshire were 87-0, trailing by 409.
Highlights of day three will be posted online at www.durhamccc.co.uk/durhamtv/highlights on Monday morning. To follow the action live, as it happens, on day four from The Rose Bowl, log onto Live Match Chat, www.durhamccc.co.uk/live-match-chat