Rob Yates stars with century but Ben Stokes, Ben Raine lead Durham fightback

An accomplished century from Rob Yates led Warwickshire's resistance of an impressive Durham seam attack on the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Edgbaston.

Academy product Yates struck 102 (239 balls, 11 fours) but Durham ended the day ascendant after bowling the Group A leaders out for 237.

The 21-year-old added 56 with Pieter Malan and 74 with Sam Hain as the Bears reached a solid 221 for 4, but the bowlers stuck to their task to take the last six wickets for 16 runs in 52 balls. Ben Stokes took 3 for 55, his first championship wickets since July 2018, and Ben Raine 3 for 51. Durham then replied with 20 for 1 in seven overs before the close.

After Durham chose to bowl, a superb new-ball spell from Matty Potts brought the wicket of England's Dom Sibley when a rapid leg-cutter took the edge through to wicketkeeper Ned Eckersley.

Yates and Malan (31, 51 balls, five fours) saw off the new ball before the latter tickled a leg-side delivery from Brydon Carse to the keeper.

Hain and Yates batted assiduously to add 74 in 35 overs. Yates drove Raine to the cover boundary to pass 50 from 131 balls but Hain departed for 30 (98 balls, two fours) when he paddled a short ball from Stokes to short fine leg.

With England head scout James Taylor among the onlookers, Yates reached his century from 238 balls with 11 fours - his fourth first-class century, all of which have come at Edgbaston. The crowd gave him the warmest of ovations and shared his disappointment when, next ball, he fell lbw to Raine.

In the final session, Durham dabbled in left field when Eckersley shed the keeper's pads to deliver an over of enigmatic off spin. Its fiendish variations did not bring a wicket but clearly scrambled the minds of the batting side which promptly fell in a heap.

Will Rhodes (39, 88 balls, six fours) clipped Chris Rushworth to square leg, Matt Lamb chipped Stokes to fine leg and Rushworth was rewarded for a highly optimistic lbw appeal against Michael Burgess.

Stokes took a sharp return catch from Danny Briggs and then, in murky light, Raine polished off the innings with two wickets in five balls as Craig Miles and Ryan Sidebottom edged behind.

Miles soon struck when Durham replied, his ninth ball striking Michael Jones' middle stump.