Hampshire continued to dominate their Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street, only for rain to wipe out most of the final session on the second day.

Division One’s bottom club declared on 472-9 - their biggest Championship total for nearly two years - before Ryan McLaren bowled England hopefuls Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick to leave Durham on 79-2.

Stoneman offered no stroke and lost his off bail and then Borthwick fell for five when he tried too late to withdraw his bat and edged onto his stumps.

A change in conditions didn’t help Durham as the openers had 35 on the board after five overs. Light rain was starting to fall when Stoneman departed for 17 in the sixth over.

It passed quickly enough for play to continue, but the thickening cloud made batting more tricky, prompting Keaton Jennings to drop anchor.

He had raced to 20 off 16 balls, then added only three in facing a further 40 before bad light prompted tea to be taken an over early.

Gareth Berg had conceded one run in six overs, but on the resumption following heavy rain in the interval Jennings and Jack Burnham added 22 in six overs before the wet weather returned.

The three wickets Durham took as Hampshire progressed from their overnight 319 for six were handed to them.

Lewis McManus departed for five when he skied a pull off Graham Onions to be caught at midwicket by academy player Alasdair Appleby, on as a substitute for Chris Rushworth.

Sean Ervine and Berg then put on 95 in 22.2 overs with the latter becoming the dominant partner as he made 56 off 74 balls before lofting Jennings to long-on.

Berg had gone to his half-century by following a six over extra cover off Ryan Pringle with a back-foot four to the same area off the next ball.

With the declaration looming after lunch, Gareth Andrew drove a straight six off Borthwick and Ervine tried to hurry to his century. On 72 he pulled Paul Coughlin for six and had sped to 93 when he attempted a scoop off the same bowler and was bowled.

Ervine, who revealed that he tried to play the ball later after his former Zimbabwean teammate Murray Goodwin, said: “The forecast is very similar for Tuesday but better for Wednesday so hopefully we can capitalise, make them follow on and take another 18 wickets. "You play for the team in these situations, it was a shame not to get a hundred but.I had an over to get there."