Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

This stopped being a contest sometime yesterday.

Surrey have now passed 700 and have the second highest score against Durham. The highest is Warwickshire's 810-4 declared in 1994 when Brian Lara made 501 not out.

Dom Sibley has just become the fourth player to score 300 against Durham. Graeme Hick made 315 for Worcestershire in 2002 and Darren Lehmann 339 for Yorkshire in 2006.

It's been a monumental effort in this heat, but I will happily never see a Kookaburra ball game again on the basis of this one. Sadly there are still another two rounds of games to go with it.

Sibley now has Robert Abel's Surrey record of 357* in his sights. That was against Somerset in 1899.

My colleague Mark Church thinks they will declare at tea. Churchy also says Durham "are being slowly cooked" by Surrey. He's not wrong. But why they are still out there, I have no idea.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Dom Sibley has reached 200. He was nearly run out getting there as well.

His next target is 245 and a career-best score. His highest total to date is 244 in a draw against Kent in 2019.

Sibley's also added 209 with Dan Lawrence, who has 102.

Surrey's highest fourth wicket stand against Durham is 222, by Darren Bicknell and Ali Brown, in Darlington, in 1994. Expect all records to be broken today.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Dom Sibley has moved onto 180 this morning and that is the highest score by a Surrey player against Durham.

It beats Mark Butcher's 169 in an innings win here in 1995. Surrey's highest total against Durham came that day too, when they made 652-9d. That will be broken today!

It's already very hot in London and Durham are a man down after Ben Raine suffered a foot injury yesterday. I really fear for Durham today because this looks like it is going to be a chastening experience.

The atmosphere is great though because there are 7,000 school children in the ground. But they are also in the danger zone. Dan Lawrence has just landed a six right in the middle of them.

Former Middlesbrough forward Alan Peacock, seventh in the club's list of all-time goalscorers, has died at the age of 87.

The teenager disappeared while playing in the Tees on Thursday, with his body found the next day.

Nine-year-old Flash is trying to find a new home, but nobody turned up to his open day.

Students at Newcastle University affected by strikes are receiving up to £600 in compensation.

Dom Sibley and Sam Curran score centuries as Surrey reach 407-3 on the opening day of their home Championship game against Durham.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Image source, Rex Features

Sam Curran has notched his second century in first-class cricket. His best is 126 in a draw against Kent in 2022.

He's played some lovely shots today, but generally it's been straightforward for him - as it is for most batsmen against the Kookaburra ball.

Yet again it has offered absolutely nothing for the bowlers. As a project and an experiment, it's desperate. It is not a contest when things are as one-sided as this around the country.

The century included 13 fours and a six. He's also put on 156 with Dom Sibley, who has 94. The new ball is due in seven overs but I doubt it will make any difference.

Durham have also had bowler Ben Raine off the field most of the afternon. He seemed to be having trouble with his foot earlier.

Stories include dead animals and vandalism in a park, and an investigation into a major power cut.

A study finds a low aspirin dose can reduce cancer risk and a major kayak rescue.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Surrey certainly enjoyed the best of the morning, in the heat of The Oval, as they reached 101-1 by the break. But the big worry for Durham is the fitness of Matty Potts.

He was chasing a drive from Ryan Patel when he collided heavily with an advertising hoarding at the foot of the pavilion. Replays suggest his foot crashed into the boarding and his ankle twisted. He may have hurt his knee as well.

The Durham physio was quickly on the ground to check him out and a doctor joined her from the stand. Thankfully Potts was able to get up after a few minutes and limp up to the dressing room.

He has been replaced by former Surrey player Scott Borthwick, who was included in the Durham squad for the first time this season, but did not make the starting 11.

I am not sure if we will see anything more of Potts in this game. Fingers crossed it is not as bad as it looked. But England may well have the final say on that anyway.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Image source, Rex Features

It's already hot at The Oval and likely to get much hotter as the day goes on. We are looking at highs of 33C later this afternoon.

So, the last thing you don't want to do is put a side in and have them go along at four an over in the first hour of play. Rory Burns and Dom Sibley have got off to a flyer. They added 50 inside 16 overs.

Some of the bowling has been too loose, particularly that of Daniel Hogg. The tall, fast bowler has gone for 22 runs in four overs, with 12 of those coming in consecutive balls.

He's now been replaced at the Pavilion End by debutant Jimmy Neesham. The New Zealander's two previous Championship matches were in 2021 and 2022.

Additional measures are being considered to prevent airport holidaymakers from parking in Ponteland.

A stretch of the A1032 will be closed to traffic, though there will be pedestrian and cyclist access.

Stockton bosses say the systems, which transcribe meetings and reduce paperwork, free-up staff.

Durham Police says a drone will be only minutes from an incident as it adds to its fleet.

Liv Ashton says she did not expect to finish her collection after migraines affected her sight.