Perfect day for Middlesex as they dominate Durham
Durham 204: Stoneman 46; Rayner 4-17, Franklin 3-26
Middlesex 100-1: Gubbins 42*, Eskinazi 42; Onions 1-36
Close, day one: Middlesex trail Durham by 104 runs
Championship leaders Middlesex dominated the opening day against Durham at Lord’s thanks to Ollie Rayner’s four wickets and patient batting from openers Nick Gubbins and Stevie Eskinazi.
After skittling Durham inside two sessions for a below-par 204, Middlesex went in at stumps on 100-1, trailing by just 104 with nine wickets in hand.
Durham, who won the toss, abetted greatly in their own demise with some reckless batting as they collapsed from 74-0.
Mark Stoneman (46) and Keaton Jennings (27) started well but, once their stand was broken, Middlesex took three more wickets for no runs in the space of 16 balls.
Stoneman started the collapse when he top-edged to keeper John Simpson off James Franklin, who then had Jennings lbw in the next over.
Scott Borthwick (0) was bowled by a turning delivery from Rayner and Jack Burnham (0) was run out at the non-striker’s end having set off for a suicidal single.
Just 11 balls after lunch, Durham’s malaise resumed when Michael Richardson (17) picked out Dawid Malan at mid-wicket and Paul Collingwood (9) was caught in the gully off Harry Podmore.
Eighth-wicket partners Mark Wood (36) and Paul Coughlin (39) added 40 in nine overs, before the latter fell lbw trying a smear across the line against Rayner.
The off-spinner also picked up Chris Rushworth (15) and ended the innings when Wood was caught by Paul Stirling, to finish with 4-17.
Batting in the best conditions of the day, Middlesex openers Stevie Eskinazi and Nick Gubbins survived the initial examination set by Durham’s wily new-ball pairing of Graham Onions and Rushworth.
After a stand of 77, Onions eventually got his man when Eskinazi (42) pushed down the wrong line and was bowled.
