More or less as predicted

Darren Gosling takes us through a day that turned out more or less as he expected when he turned up. Read on for a detailed account on how we have reached this prominent position.

Having attended the first day’s play I went home hoping day two would bring maximum batting points, a score of 500 and close with Durham already a few wickets down and trailing by 350 odd.

Well back to reality, here’s what actually happened…. Overnight rain led to a 50 minute delayed start but with the news that only six overs had been lost. Franklin(14) and night-watchman Harris(2) emerged through the gloom to resume the Middlesex innings in overcast conditions.

Rushworth (Pavillion end) and Hastings (Nursery end) opened the bowling on day two for Durham and aided by the overhead conditions saw the ball doing more in the first half an hour than it had all day yesterday. Both batsman struggled with Hastings in particular causing problems with seam movement and within the first 8 overs both Franklin and Harris had departed for the addition of just 12 runs. Franklin (18) was the first to depart bowled by Hastings having added a boundary to his overnight score, while Harris (9) nicked the same bowler behind where Mustard took the catch.

Dexter struggled initially, facing 15 dot balls before getting off the mark in style with a cover drive to the boundary which also brought up the 4th batting point for the Middle. Dexter (22no) and Simpson (21no) batted steadily as the conditions gradually brightened and by lunch even found them-selves batting in sunshine at last.Middlesex reached lunch on 384-6 having made 55-2 in a shortened session of 21 overs.

The afternoon session began with Arshad (Nursery end) returning to the attack while Hastings tried his luck from the pavilion end. Before long Hastings struck again as Dexter (33) saw his mistimed shot headed skywards to Arshad who took an easy catch, leaving Middlesex 399-7.

Rayner was next in and scored a single off the second ball he faced to bring up the 400 for the Middle. Meanwhile Simpson was playing very fluently hitting some splendid covers drives to the boundary. Durham skipper Collingwood reintroduced himself to the attack (N end) and Rushworth (P end) with the latter striking in the third over of his spell. Rayner played across the line missed and departed for 16 LBW Rushworth with Middlesex on 440-8. With the score approaching 450 Middlesex seem to want to push on for quick runs and Simpson brought up a deserved 50 (off 89 balls) which included 9 x 4’s. Murtagh too played some attacking shots before being bowled by Borthwick for 11 having been brought back by the skipper for himself. Middx 455-9.

Middlesex clearly wanted to have a bowl at Durham before tea and in looking to score more quick runs Simpson perished for 58, playing his first poor shot holing out to Rushworth to give the impressive Hastings his 4th wicket of the day having taken none on day one. The Middlesex innings closed on 463 leaving time for 10 overs at Durham before tea.

Stoneman and Jennings opened the innings for Durham while Murtagh (N end) and Finn (P end) opened the bowling for the Middle. Sadly disaster struck for Middlesex after only two balls as Murtagh pulled up grabbing his left hamstring. Harris had to finish Murtagh’s over while Ryan Higgins took the field as sub fielder as Murtagh took no further part of the days play. Stoneman (21no) and Jennings (13no) safely negotiated the 10 overs before tea to take Durham to 35-0, with the 37 overs to be bowled in the evening session.

In just the third of these overs Harris saw Stoneman (23) nick to slip where Rayner pouched the catch, Durham 46-1. Dexter and Franklin then gave Finn and Harris a break, with Franklin picking up his first wicket for the Middle. Borthwick (26) looked set to play a cut shot only to hesitate and change his mind, the result being a nick to Simpson leaving Durham 90-2.

Finn and Harris bowled well from the Pavillion End with both generating extra bounce to trouble the batsmen. With supporters around me wishing for a third wicket before the close, Harris having been reintroduced to the attack duly obliged. Richardson who had play some nice cover drives in his innings of 26 departed having been caught at the wicket by Simpson, leaving Durham 132-3.

The day then even got better for the Middle as with just 8 balls of the day remaining Finn claimed a bonus 4th wicket when McLeod played on to depart for 13. Rushworth came out as night watchman and safely faced 6 of the remaining 7 balls to take to Durham to the close on 157-4.

So the day had pretty much gone as I had hoped, we didn’t quite make 500 but having Durham 4 down at the close was even better than hoped.

POSITIVES This was actually difficult to come up with just 3, which proves what a good day it was but I plumped for:

1 – Lords drainage, despite a lot of overnight rain only 6 overs were lost to the weather (the huge advantage over out-grounds of course)

2 – The temperature ! Having frozen my whatsits off on day one this was most welcome.

3 – Simmo’s fluent 50 which helped take us to a commanding score of 463 and ultimately a lead of 306.

NEGATIVES Well this show what a good day for the Middle it really was as I could only come up with one. Obviously going in to the match with only 3 front-line seamers it was a massive blow to lose Murts so early on. Let’s hope the hamstring is only a pull and not a tear as with TRJ still sidelined the attack is beginning to look a bit stretched already.

It will be a real shame if we cannot kick on and win form this position but there is an awful lot of work left for the other bowlers if we are to achieve our first Championship win at Lords in almost a year since beating Lanky on the 14th May 2014.