A superb maiden first-class century from Ben McKinney and a stubborn hundred from Alex Lees gave Durham a dominant position on the first day of their encounter with Nottinghamshire in the County Championship.
McKinney, playing in only his second County Championship game, smashed an experienced Notts bowling attack at Riverside Park after Haseeb Hameed had put the hosts in bat on the coin toss, while Lees anchored Durham’s innings and reached three-figure scores for the third time this season.
McKinney was clearly the aggressor in the early stages of the day and the pair scored 189 for the first wicket, which is the hosts’ highest opening stand of the season.
The visitors then started a small comeback and took three wickets for 58 runs, but Lees formed a partnership worth 122 with Ashton Turner, leaving the hosts at 393-5.
McKinney, who was part of the England Lions side that beat Sri Lanka last week, performed superbly throughout his innings and laid a fantastic foundation for Durham in this battle for the middle order.
The 19-year-old dominated an attack of experienced bowlers with some great shots, particularly down the off-side, while Lees offered few chances as he pulled out all the stops on his way to his 15th first-class century for Durham.
Notts captain Hameed will be scratching his head after his decision to bowl first allowed the hosts to post a high total and his team now faces a tough task.
Durham coped with a difficult opening spell from Olly Stone, who was released from the England Test squad for this game, and Brett Hutton, but McKinney and Lees appeared to be in good form.
After surviving the first few rallies, McKinney tried to attack whenever possible and managed two glorious boundaries in a stone over.
The big left-hander passed fifty for the second time in his first-class career with a cover drive for four, while Lees kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end, taking the partnership past 100 just before lunch.
McKinney picked up where he left off after lunch, staying positive and hitting several boundaries, including a nice pull shot off the bowling of Hutton.
Then came a series of milestones for the hosts: Lees reached his 50 from 114 balls and former England Under-19 captain McKinney scored his maiden hundred from 117 balls with a beautiful cover drive.
He then hit Freddie McCann over the mid-off boundary for the first six of the match, but his excellent knock did not last much longer as he chipped the spinner straight to mid-wicket and he was dismissed for 121.
Scott Borthwick looked to be in good form but Lyndon James bowled him for 26 when he dropped a point that grazed the top of the off-stump and the Notts bowler struck again soon after, taking Ollie Robinson off for 13.
Lees reached his own century after tea; the former England international’s milestone was achieved off 223 balls and only seven boundaries.
Turner, making his Championship debut for Durham, came to bat and ran well with Lees between the wickets as they piled up runs and crossed the 300-mark.
He played a superb pull shot for four and Lees joined in, taking Stone to the third man boundary as the hosts piled up the runs.
The second new ball did not help Notts at first, as Turner reached his 50 off 70 balls, but then Hutton bowled Lees for 145 to end a fine innings and give the visitors a chance in the closing stages of the day.
James scored his third point of the day, Graham Clark made seven, but Turner remained unbeaten with 62 at stump.
