BEN Stokes was at his blistering best to propel Durham to a competitive total of 241 for eight after their YB 40 match away to holders Hampshire was reduced to 36 overs a side.

They were put in after rain delayed the start by 45 minutes and slipped to 45 for four before Stokes thrashed 87 off 71 balls, with four sixes.

In the absence of one-day captain Dale Benkenstein and Gareth Breese through injury Durham brought in Will Smith and he provided the perfect cameo of 50 off 35 balls.

When Stokes was stumped with eight overs left Smith and Ryan Pringle put on 74 before both fell in the last four balls of the innings.

Retained for his third successive appearance, Pringle had made only one when he drove a straight six off medium pacer Sean Ervine on his way to 26.

Acting captain Mark Stoneman scored 29 of the 34 runs which were scored in the first six overs, hitting four off-side fours off Dimitri Mascarenhas, who had just returned from his one appearance in the IPL.

There were no more boundaries until the 17th over, when Stokes went down the pitch to drive David Griffiths for the first of his six fours.

As he consolidated in partnership with Gordon Muchall, Stokes scored only 12 off the first 27 balls he faced before racing to 50 off 51.

When Danny Briggs was introduced he reverse swept him for four then launched a huge six over long-on.

Hampshire gambled by bringing on their other left-arm spinner, Liam Dawson, a little over two years after Stokes hit him for five sixes off the first five balls of an over on this ground.

After making 12 off 27 balls Muchall shaped to turn Dawson’s third ball to leg and gave him a return catch.

With Smith initially taking on the supporting role, Stokes continued his onslaught as he took 16 off Dawson’s third over, including two driven sixes.

But after scooping a four to fine leg off Ervine he over-balanced when going for a repeat and was stumped by Adam Wheater, Hampshire’s new recruit from Essex.

Smith had contributed 12 to the stand of 52, but accelerated impressively as he split the off-side fielders perfectly to take two successive fours off Chris Wood.

He then drove and swept two fours off Briggs, whose six overs cost 51, and reached his 50 off 34 balls with a six over extra cover off David Griffiths in the final over before stepping across and being bowled by the next ball.