LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP, DIVISION ONE, The Rose Bowl:
Close, day three: Durham 473 & 310-3dec, Hampshire 294 & 87-0
Durham 8pts, Hants 5pts
Match scorecard

New Zealand-born Stokes is already an England Under-19 international

Ben Stokes hit a rapid century after taking career-best bowling figures as Durham set Hampshire a challenging 490 to win at The Rose Bowl.

Stokes (135 not out) smashed six sixes, including five in one over, while Dale Benkenstein weighed in with an unbeaten 55, as Durham declared on 301-3.

Hampshire, who closed the day on 87-0 in their second innings, were earlier dismissed in the morning session.

Stokes finished with 6-68 as Hampshire slipped from 292-6 to 294 all out.

The home side had begun the day on 289-6 and it was Stokes at the heart of the tail-end collapse, as he got rid of Dominic Cork, Danny Briggs and Simon Jones in a five-ball spell.

Durham captain Phil Mustard declined the opportunity to enforce the follow-on and his batsman made hay in the sunshine.

Gordon Muchall hit eight fours in his 52 before becoming third man out with the score on 170. That brought Stokes and Benkenstein together and they created havoc putting on 140 in 27 overs.

Stokes' innings of 135 came off only 145 balls and, as well as his six sixes, he hit 13 fours.

He came close to earning a place in the record books as he hit the first five balls of a Liam Dawson over for six but could only manage a single off the last delivery.

At close, Hampshire were still 403 away from victory on 87 without loss, Jimmy Adams unbeaten on 47 and Liam Dawson 35 not out.

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