REPORT & QUOTES: Aitchison takes five but Derbyshire lose key wickets

Ben Aitchison claimed his fourth five-wicket haul in as many first-class matches, before Derbyshire lost six key wickets before the close of play against Durham.

Aitchison starred for the hosts, taking 5 for 70 to bowl the Division Two leaders out for 283 which included half centuries from Alex Lees and Graham Clark.

That looked an even better score when Derbyshire collapsed to 127 for 6, 156 behind, with Matthew Potts and Will Rhodes both taking two wickets.

The prospect of seeing Stokes bat put a few on the gate and it was not long before he was striding to the middle.

Aitchison was getting the ball to nip around and he moved one in to trap David Bedingham lbw in the third over of a sunny morning.

There was warm applause as Stokes walked purposefully out although the majority of Derbyshire’s members probably hoped he would soon be heading in the opposite direction.

They almost got their wish as he edged his second ball just short of the slips but a lofted drive off Brett Randell suggested he was in the mood to repeat his hundred on this ground in the One-Day Cup last month.

Aitchison had Lees dropped on 58 by Brooke Guest diving across first slip and he beat Stokes who responded by glancing the next ball to the fine leg boundary.

Stokes moved into Benball mode when he dropped to one knee to drive Nick Potts gloriously through the covers before a dismissive pull brought him another boundary.

It was however far from a smooth ride with a clip off Anuj Dal just evading midwicket before an edge through the slips took him to a 56 ball 50.

Stokes was batting in what looked like a large watch on his left wrist but Dal called time on him when he pouched a leading edge in his follow through to reduce Durham to 182 for 5.

Clark mirrored Stoke’s, hitting two sixes in a 57 ball 50 and with Ollie Robinson, took Durham to 260 before the second new ball gave the game another twist.

Aitchison got the rewards he deserved when he had Clark caught at second slip to end a stand of 78 from 129 balls and then beat Robinson’s drive.

Both Brydon Carse and Potts have scored first-class hundreds but they went cheaply, the latter bowled by a beauty from Aitchison who became the first Derbyshire bowler for 61 years to take five wickets in an innings in four consecutive first-class matches.

Durham had lost their last five wickets for 23 and Derbyshire’s openers soon discovered there was plenty there for the pace bowlers.

Harry Came and Caleb Jewell were beaten numerous times by Potts and Carse but clung on until Stokes inevitably broke through.

His first ball drew Came into a defensive push which flew to third slip and in his fourth over he swung one in to beat Jewell’s drive.

There was concern when he went off feeling his lower left side but was back on after Rhodes removed Wayne Madsen.

Rhodes then tempted Matthew Montgomery into a drive before Potts struck twice as Durham again demonstrated their promotion ambitions.

Derbyshire fast bowler Ben Aitchison said: “This Durham side’s pretty much an international side, so the way the lads stuck at it against the likes of Carse and Potts was proper.

“It’s not an ideal situation. We need seven to avoid the follow-on so that’ll be the first aim.

“With this ball getting old, it should hopefully calm the wicket down a bit. Having the heavy roller on it in the morning will also help.

“The idea is just to bat as long as possible. Hopefully me and Anuj (Dal) can bat for a while and then build from there.”