England captain Ben Stokes took 2 for 40 in an encouraging first appearance of the summer as Durham dominated the first day of Rothesay County Championship action against Worcestershire.

Opening the bowling after his injury lay-off, Stokes dismissed Dan Lategan in just the second over of his comeback, before another impressive Ben Raine spell saw Durham on top at lunch with the Pears 93 for 4.

Adam Hose produced a defiant half-century as he and Brett D’Oliveira (41) came together to add 97 for the fifth wicket and drag the hosts back into the contest at 149 for 4.

Stokes returned to bowl Hose with the first ball of an evening session delayed by rain, before Raine collected his third wicket to put the visitors in charge with Worcestershire closing 209 for 7.

Featuring for the first time since recovering from a broken cheekbone suffered back in February, the England captain hit the ground running, taking the new ball and producing a vicious delivery from around the wicket that rose enough to catch the edge of Lategan’s bat in just his second over of the morning.

Despite Stokes’ return making the headlines, it was his new-ball partner Ben Raine (3 for 47) who continued his promising early season form by accounting for Jake Libby (9) and Gareth Roderick (6) as the early season pace setters reduced Worcestershire to 40 for 3 inside the opening hour.

Kashif Ali joined Hose at the crease, with Kashif eager to play his expansive array of shots in what was a productive, albeit brief counter-offensive of 27.

After finding the boundary five times, the left-hander mistimed a cut shot off and guided a wide ball straight to Graham Clark at point, handing Luke Robinson his first wicket of the contest.

Hose continued in watchful fashion, as Stokes returned from his swift four-over spell before lunch, but was unable to force any further openings, Durham left the field at lunch in the ascendency with their opponents 93 for 4.

Upon resumption, it was the hosts’ experienced middle-order duo who started in composed fashion, with new man D’Oliveira playing in typically busy fashion.

The pivotal moment came when Hose was handed a lifeline on 28, when he was dropped by Aldridge at second slip off the bowling of Raine, a second chance that the batter capitalised on.

It was Hose who led from the front, showing a liking for any straight deliveries that drifted onto his pads and latching onto anything full in length as he drove the ball with authority to see the Pears move past 100 in the early forays of the afternoon.

After such a dominant first session, the visitors were forced onto the back foot for the first time in the match, as Hose reached his 16th first-class half-century from 74 balls, in the process of adding 97 for the fifth wicket with his unbeaten captain, who had made 37.

A delay for rain at 2:45pm saw play halted with Worcestershire 149 for 4, before a second shower meant only seven balls were possible until 5:35pm.

The visitors tightened their grip on proceedings upon the resumption, as Stokes castled Hose’s off stump for a resolute 59 with the first ball of the session, before Raine returned an over later to end D’Oliveira’s repost as the Worcestershire skipper was pinned LBW for 41.

Aldridge had time to take the wicket of Matthew Waite for 18, as Ethan Brookes (21*) hung on with Tom Taylor as Worcestershire ended the day 209 for 7.