Durham on top despite Malan landmark

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Close, day two: Durham 377 & 28-1 lead Middlesex 276 by 129 runs

Dawid Malan passed 1,000 runs for the season but a middle-order collapse allowed Durham to establish a big first-innings lead on the second day at Lord’s.

Middlesex started well, ending Scott Borthwick’s brilliant knock at 176 as they took the last three Durham wickets for 29 runs.

Malan made 97 but he was the only senior Middlesex batsman to make a respectable score as they slumped from 166-3 to 202-8.

Late hitting from Toby Roland-Jones (49) and Tim Murtagh (24) prevented the follow-on but Durham still led by 101 runs.

Murtagh then repeated his trick from the first innings by bowling Keaton Jennings in the opening over, though Durham remain well on top, 129 ahead at the close.

The visitors began the day on 348-7 and Middlesex wasted little time in polishing off the first innings. Steven Finn had the previously impregnable Borthwick caught at long leg and the next ball he drew an edge from John Hastings, with Malan catching at slip.

Finn was denied a hat-trick but Murtagh claimed his fifth wicket to ensure Durham fell well short of 400.

Chris Rogers fell early in the reply, edging behind for just eight, and Sam Robson struggled for runs again as he was bowled for 15.

Malan and Eoin Morgan (25) added 62 before the latter edged a ball from his England colleague Ben Stokes to Borthwick at slip.

After Malan had broken his previous best tally of runs for a season – 1,001 – the next target was a century – but he fell agonisingly short as he nicked one through to the keeper off Stokes.

That triggered the collapse as Neil Dexter (14) and John Simpson (6) fell to Peter Chase, while Ollie Rayner (8) and Paul Stirling (16) fell after tea and left Middlesex facing the follow-on.

Not for the first time this season, they were indebted to the tail wagging. Roland-Jones’s 49 came off 53 balls and he was ably supported by Murtagh as they not only ensured Durham would bat next but put on 74.

Middlesex were still giving up a big lead and although Murtagh handed Jennings the ignominy of a five-ball pair, Durham negotiated the final eight overs without further alarm.

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