DURHAM V SURREY - Specsavers County Championship - 12 September 2016 Durham 393-9 v Surrey.

Keaton Jennings produced another virtuoso display on the first day of Durham's Specsavers County Championship match at home to Surrey. The country's leading run-scorer ran the day's final ball from Stuart Meaker to third man for the four which took him to 200 and his total for the season to 1,510.

He ensured the relegation-threatened hosts recovered from a four-wicket burst by Mark Footitt by taking them to 393 for nine at the close of a day on which it was confirmed in a brief statement that Scott Borthwick has rejected a three-year deal. It did not say where he is going, as Durham are leaving it to Surrey to announce that they have signed Borthwick as well as Mark Stoneman.

While the locals are leaving, Jennings has signed a four-year deal and it was another South Africa-born player, Brydon Carse, who helped him in the recovery. Making his comeback in place of the rested Chris Rushworth, the paceman contributed 32 to a stand of 79, then Mark Wood continued the resistance by making 28.

Durham had hoped for a big innings from their other returning England man, Ben Stokes, but after scoring 24, all in fours, he had his stumps splattered by Footitt.

Stokes was stuck on the crease as the ball speared through his defences, but two of Footitt's wickets came from poor deliveries. Paul Collingwood reached for a full, wide one and gave a catch to gully, while Graham Clark spooned a catch to mid-wicket.

Jennings became the first batsman to score seven championship hundreds in a season for Durham with a reverse paddle for four after playing back five balls from left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari on 99. That was his 18th four and after reaching his century off 171 balls he stepped on the gas with his next 50 coming off 61.

When the new ball was taken he slipped into overdrive as a series of imperious straight drives off the Curran brothers brought 30 runs off three overs. His fourth 50 came off 51 balls.

After Durham chose to bat on a run-laden pitch Borthwick had the next highest score with 38 before Tom Curran skidded one on to him for an easy lbw verdict. Stoneman was out for 20, having survived an edge off the excellent Curran on 11 before Ben Foakes accepted an easier chance off Stuart Meaker.

Meaker had Wood caught at second slip for his third wicket, leaving Graham Onions to keep Jennings company while he collected the runs which took him past 1,500.

Keaton Jennings said: "It's a day I will remember. It's very special to take a club record from players like Paul Collingwood and Michael Di Venuto.

"I've had a lovely message from James Taylor with some really nice words, which means a lot coming from a guy who has played a bit of Test cricket.

"There's no chance of me going back to South Africa. I decided to make a career here. This is my home now and I'm ready to play for England if they want me."

Mark Footitt said: "We chipped away in patches and some balls were doing a lot when he got them in the right place. But we didn't do it often enough.

"As a bowling unit we have to look at why we didn't finish them off when we had them 232 for seven. Keaton played brilliantly, but we gifted him a few short, wide ones."

TEA REPORT

On the day when it was confirmed that Scott Borthwick is leaving, Keaton Jennings became the first batsman to score seven championship centuries in a season for Durham.

The South Africa-born left-hander resisted approaches from elsewhere to sign a new four-year contract and continued to lead the battle for division one survival, albeit with little assistance.

Mark Footitt began by splattering Ben Stokes's stumps on his way to four wickets as Durham slipped to 233 for seven at tea with Jennings on 110.

While Stokes scored all his 24 runs in boundaries, Jennings went serenely on his way to a 171-ball century then watched three more batsmen surrender.

Jack Burnham reached 15 when an attempted pull off Stuart Meaker flew over gully, but on trying the shot again he lobbed a catch to mid-off to bring in Stokes.

Although one of the England all-rounder's fours was edged wide of the slips when looking to turn Meaker to leg, it was beginning to look too easy for him when he dispatched Footitt through the covers then clipped him to the mid-wicket boundary.

But Stokes was rooted to the crease when the pacy left-armer speared one through his defences to hit off and middle.

Surrey turned to Zafar Ansari at 194 for four after 49 overs and Jennings turned him through mid-wicket for four then lofted him to the rope over mid-on. A reverse paddle for his 18th four took him to his hundred.

After digging in to contribute 14 to a stand of 53 Paul Collingwood reached for a wide, full ball from Footitt and gave a catch to gully.

Graham Clark and Stuart Poynter both failed to score, the former spooning an innocuous ball to mid-wicket and the latter edging low to third slip.

LUNCH REPORT

Scott Borthwick set about showing Surrey why they have signed him for next season, only to fall just before lunch, when Durham were 110 for two with Keaton Jennings on 45.

Confirmation of Borthwick's move is expected today, but he showed his determination to keep Durham in division one by making a fluent 35.

Mark Stoneman, who has also accepted the Surrey shilling, was out for 20 after Durham chose to bat and sprang a surprise by recalling Brydon Carse at the expense of Chris Rushworth.

After playing in almost everything, Rushworth is rested, but with Mark Wood available he and Carse will provide Durham with plenty of pace. Stuart Poynter was also recalled, with Michael Richardson and Ryan Pringle standing down, while Surrey included Jason Roy but not Zafar Ansari.

Tom Curran opened up with an excellent spell and found Stoneman's edge on 11 with a ball which left him sharply. Ben Foakes dived in front of first slip and failed to hang on, but he held a regulation edge when Stoneman pushed forward in Stuart Meaker's second over.

After short spells from his four seamers, Gareth Batty came on at 61 for one after 17 overs and Jennings confidently took him on. After sweeping the spinner to fine leg he advanced to lift him for another four to long-on.

Jack Burnham went in ahead of Ben Stokes when Borthwick was pinned lbw by a skidder in the first over of Tom Curran's second spell.

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