JUST when they had got into a strong position at the Oval today, Durham lost Ben Stokes to what looked like a nasty injury.

He almost performed a backward somersault in pulling off a miraculous catch to get rid of Jason Roy for 117 and had to be stretchered off.

Stokes was back-pedalling at deep mid-off when he leapt to pluck the ball out of the air and it seems likely he has damaged his back.

After taking two for 28 he still had two overs to bowl and when Scott Borthwick was recalled in his place two long hops were smashed to the boundary before Surrey were all out for 216 with 15 balls unused.

Durham arrived at the ground to find that South Africa captain Graeme Smith would not be leading the opposition because he has gone home for ankle surgery.

Smith had shared an opening stand of 162 in 20.3 overs with Steven Davies in Monday’s thrashing of Hampshire, so when Davies perished in today’s third over Durham were doubly delighted.

Davies had pulled Mark Wood for six in racing to 18 but chipped Chris Rushworth to mid-off, possibly deceived by the lack of pace as the bowler was battling into the wind.

But the man promoted to open in place of Smith, 22-year-old Roy, showed why he is so highly rated as he scored a 101-ball century.

Right-hander Roy was also born in South Africa but has been in Surrey since he was ten and is a product of Whitgift School.

He relied mainly on orthodox strokeplay, although his most impressive shot was a short-arm pull off Paul Collingwood which scorched to the boundary in front of mid-wicket.

That was the only time a batsman got Collingwood away in his first five overs after he came on as the seventh bowler and claimed lbw decisions with his third and sixth balls.

From 137 for two in the 24th over Surrey slipped to 174 for seven and added only three runs in three overs at one stage.

Collingwood’s first five overs cost only 17, but once past his hundred Roy began to improvise, stepping across to the off side to flip a straight ball to fine leg.

Smith was aware of his ankle problem before he arrived but wanted to play in the first few weeks of the season to get to know the team-mates he is due to lead for three years.

Ricky Ponting has signed to replace Smith for the period when he was expected to be playing in the Champions Trophy, but the Australian will not be here before the end of May.

As in Monday’s win at Old Trafford, Dale Benkenstein chose to field first in a strong wind and the only change from the side which beat Lancashire saw Will Smith come in for Gareth Breese, who has a side strain.

The need for at least two specialist spinners, with Surrey playing three, meant Ryan Pringle was retained at the expense of Mitch Claydon, who was in the squad for the first time this season.

Pringle bowled four overs for 23 runs, while Borthwick’s five cost 37. Rushworth finished with four for 44.