Kent’s first wicket was a questionable one with Coetzer given out lbw to Ntini for 12. Durham were 26-2 when the South African claimed his second wicket, that of Scott Borthwick (1) after he edged the ball to Van Jaarsveld at second slip.
At lunch Durham were 67-2 with Di Venuto (34*) and Benkenstein (18*) having batted through the remainder of the session. Durham passed the hundred mark with a boundary from Di Venuto, which also brought up his fifty, which included eight fours, off 106 balls. The partnership was broken when Di Venuto was bowled by Ferley for 67, bringing Ian Blackwell to the crease.
A boundary from Blackwell saw Durham past the 150 mark but he was bowled by Khan shortly after for 17, leaving Durham 165-4.
By tea, Benkenstein (94*) and Stokes (37*) had guided Durham to 231-4.
The milestones came thick and fast after the break with Stokes fifty (58 balls, five fours and two sixes), Durham’s 250, Benkenstein’s century (158 balls, nine fours and a six) and the pair’s hundred partnership achieved within just a few overs of each other.
Dale Benkenstein was bowled by Khan for 114 with the first delivery of the new ball in the 83rd over, with Durham 308-5.
Ben Stokes continued to play confidently and went on to score his second consecutive LV= County Championship century, within a week, which included 12 fours and two sixes from his 119 deliveries.
Durham were 327-6 after Phil Mustard was caught behind off Ntini for 10, bringing Ben Harmison to the crease with seven overs remaining on day two.
At the close of play Durham were 347-6 with Stokes 122* and Harmison yet to score.
Dale Benkenstein spoke to the Durham website at the end of the day, “To get that innings was important. As the season starts it’s always nice to get your first hundred, it just relaxes you and gets you going.
Tomorrow, we have to fight and we have to work hard, it’s nothing new for Durham, we’ve been in that position before but the honeymoon period is over, we won things fairly easily last year and we need to pull our socks up and do the hard work again.”
Follow the Live Match Chat from day two at Canterbury here (www.durhamccc.co.uk/live-match-chat
Highlights of day two will be uploaded on Wednesday morning.