A BIG innings from Ben Stokes two weeks before the launch of his autobiography would go a long way towards ending Durham's relegation fears.

Along with Mark Wood, the England all-rounder is in the squad to face Surrey at Emirates Riverside today with Durham looking for a much-improved haul of batting points.

The two they gained in last week's heavy defeat at Headingley equalled the total for the previous four games.

At 25, Stokes is bringing out a book, about which he tweeted yesterday: “It's all there, on and off the field, including the World T20 final.”

The launch is on September 24, the day after the county season ends, when he will be flown up from Southampton to Manchester before travelling on to Cockermouth, where he lived from the age of 12.

After a signing session in a bookshop in the Cumbrian town there will be another in Newcastle.

Durham's last match is at the Ageas Bowl and they do not want to go there needing to avoid defeat to stay above Hampshire, who are 11 points behind and have only that game left.

Surrey's season has been the opposite of Durham's. Under the coaching of Michael Di Venuto, they were relegation candidates until they strung together four championship wins and reached the Royal London Cup final.

Stokes also played in the Oval clash in April, when he scored only 12 but bowled his heart out in getting through 54 overs in the match, taking seven wickets on the flat pitch.

In reply to 457, Durham made 607 for seven declared with Jack Burnham scoring 135 and Paul Collingwood 106 not out.

Stokes removed the top three in Surrey's second innings, including Kumar Sangakkara, but they closed on 244 for six.

Durham wouldn't mind a return to those high-scoring draws of early season as ten or 11 points here would leave them needing only a couple at the Ageas Bowl.