Durham dominate after Murtagh wickets
Close, day one: Durham 348-7 v Middlesex
Tim Murtagh took three early wickets but the rest of the first day at Lord’s belonged to Durham thanks to Scott Borthwick’s superb unbeaten 169.
Number three Borthwick watched on as Murtagh reduced the visitors to 24-3 but then led a terrific counter-attack alongside England all-rounder Ben Stokes (85).
The pair put on 176 for the fourth wicket and Borthwick added a further 94 with veteran skipper Paul Collingwood (59).
Middlesex fought back a little as Murtagh and Steven Finn struck with the new ball and Toby Roland-Jones grabbed a wicket late on, but they were unable to dislodge the brilliant Borthwick.
Durham may have regretted their decision to bat first as Murtagh made the most of some early swing to bowl Keaton Jennings off the second ball of the match and induce a nibble from Mark Stoneman four overs later.
Murtagh struck again in his next over, Michael Richardson edging to Dawid Malan at slip, but amid the clatter of wickets, Borthwick was looking at ease with himself.
As the ball’s early shine faded, he and Stokes set about the Middlesex attack and both reached their half-centuries either side of lunch, by which time Durham had recovered to 114-3.
They took their partnership past 150 with a Stokes paddle sweep before Borthwick reached a well-deserved hundred with successive boundaries off Finn.
Almost immediately, Middlesex made the breakthrough as Stokes swished lazily at a Neil Dexter delivery and edged through to keeper John Simpson.
Collingwood helped Borthwick guide Durham to 226-4 at tea and the 38-year-old former England batsman went on to reach his 50 without real alarm.
The pair were closing in on a century partnership but Murtagh returned with the new ball to trap Collingwood lbw and Finn did likewise to Gordon Muchall in the next over.
With Mustard for solid support, Borthwick passed 150 with a thick edge through the slip area and then dispatched Roland-Jones for six.
The paceman responded by pinning Mustard lbw but Borthwick – who won his only England cap in the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in January – walked off to applause after a terrific unbeaten knock.
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