Result: Middlesex (536/9d; Gubbins 145, Compton 131) beat Durham (204 & 252; Rayner 5/85) by an innings and 80 runs
Keaton Jennings became the first batsman to reach 1,000 Specsavers County Championship runs but could not prevent an emphatic innings-and-80-run defeat against Middlesex.
A firm drive through the covers shortly before lunch moved the opener to the landmark en route to 45.
But after Middlesex added quick runs on the third morning, regular wickets were Durham’s downfall as the match came to a close within the scheduled four days.
Off-spinner Ollie Rayner took a five-wicket haul as Jon Lewis’ men were unable to capitalise on a pitch that Middlesex recorded a record second-wicket stand on during Sunday.
Fellow opener Mark Stoneman was dropped behind by John Simpson and Stevie Eskinazi before Rayner finally removed him for 25, swooping across the crease to take a one-handed return catch.
Rayner struck again three overs later to snare Jennings, lbw for 45, and
Five overs after tea, Murtagh opened his wicket account with an off-cutter that nipped up the Lord’s slope and through the gate of Jack Burnham’s defensive push.
Harry Podmore then removed Paul Collingwood’s off stump and extracted extra bounce to have Adam Hickey caught behind without scoring, with the end all-but nigh for Durham.
Rayner returned to have Paul Coughlin caught at short leg, leg-spinner Dawid Malan ended Mark Wood’s cameo, turning one to have him caught at slip, leaving Rayner to take his five-for by having Graham Onions caught at mid-on.
The third day started with Middlesex extending their overnight score 408/6 to reach 536 for before Franklin declared with his side 332 runs ahead.
Bating on for 19 overs, the hosts added a further 128 runs with Franklin and Toby Roland-Jones putting Durham’s attack to the sword.
Roland-Jones biffed four sixes and six fours in a 47-ball 66 in adding exactly 100 in 13.4 overs with Franklin.
Middlesex lost Rayner in the third over of the third day, bowled for 5 by a fiery Wood, but that only brought Roland-Jones in to join forces with Franklin.
But Roland-Jones’ arrival signalled some big-hitting and allowed Franklin to call the declaration when Hickey had him caught on the boundary.
Close, Day Two: Middlesex (408/6; Gubbins 145, Compton 131) lead Durham (204; Stoneman 46; Rayner 4/17) by 204 runs
Centuries by Middlesex batsmen Nick Gubbins and Nick Compton handed Middlesex a big lead on Day Two of the Specsavers County Championship match at Lord’s.
Resuming on their overnight score of 100 for one and in response to Durham’s below par 204, Compton set out his stall to bat for much of the second day alongside second-wicket partner Gubbins.
In the end, the pair batted in sunny afternoon conditions through to 4.06pm in adding 247 for the second wicket – a club record against Durham – until Gubbins went for 145.
Gubbins reached his third ton of the summer from 232 balls and with 14 fours, while Compton went to his first century of the season from 193 balls with only 11 boundaries.
After 400 minutes at the crease left-handed, Gubbins fenced at Mark Wood’s lifting leg-cutter to be caught throat high at slip by Scott Borthwick to start a run of five wickets in the evening session.
Dawid Malan was caught behind for five having chanced his arm against the bowling of Graham Onions.
Leg-spinner Scott Borthwick caused Compton the occasional headache, particularly with his quicker-ball, but the Durban-born batter was not to be denied his maiden first-class hundred of the season.
His vigil ended after tea against the fiery bowling of Onions who, together with Wood and Chris Rushworth, had tried their utmost on an easing surface.
Aiming a weary run down to third man, Compton chopped the ball onto his stumps to depart with his side on 338/4 – the hosts duly missed out on a fourth batting bonus point.
With their lead already beyond 150, Middlesex lost a fifth wicket when John Simpson, in trying to up the tempo, nicked a push drive to second slip and give Paul Coughlin his first wicket of the match.
Paul Stirling added 43 before steering Borthwick to Keaton Jennings to leg slip late in the day, Borthwick’s first hard-earned wicket of the day.
Close, Day One: Middlesex (100/1) trail Durham (204; Stoneman 46; Rayner 4/17) by 104 runs
Durham were bowled out for 204 before Middlesex reached three figures on the first day of Specsavers County Championship action at Lord’s.
Mark Stoneman managed 46 but his wicket was the first of four to fall on 74 during an early afternoon collapse.
Paul Coughlin added 39 and Mark Wood 36 to lift Durham above 200 and onto a first batting point before Wood was the last man out to Ollie Rayner, who took four wickets.
Batting in the best conditions of the day, Middlesex openers Stevie Eskinazi and Nick Gubbins survived the initial examination from Durham’s bowlers, who extracted plenty of lateral seam movement off the green-tinted wicket.
The hosts’ first alarm proved to be a near run out of Eskinazi before Onions switched to the Pavilion End to eventually get his man as he pushed down the wrong line to have his off and middle stumps pegged back.
Onions should have celebrated a second success soon after when Gubbins, on 39, edged a back-foot defensive push only for keeper Michael Richardson to down a sharp chance.
But Durham were made to rue not scoring more after electing to bat first on a pitch tinged with green in the capital.
Stoneman could have gone with four against his name when Rayner downed a simple chance at second slip off the bowling of Tim Murtagh.
Durham blossomed once the sun burnt through the cloud cover and had 74 on the board when a collapse led to the loss of four wickets in the space of 16 balls, without addition to their total.
Stoneman top-edged pull against James Franklin to ‘keeper John Simpson, Jennings was trapped lbw before Scott Borthwick pushed at a turning delivery from Rayner that beat the edge to clip the top of off stump.
Jack Burnham was then run out at the non-striker’s end having being sent back by Richardson.
It almost became five wickets for no run as Richardson was dropped at slip by Eskinazi.
The wickets continued after lunch when Richardson mistimed a pull shot to pick out Dawid Malan at mid-wicket and Paul Collingwood drove at a length ball from Harry Podmore to be caught in the gully by Nick Compton. Shortly afterwards, Adam Hickey was caught behind.
Eighth-wicket partners Wood and Coughlin added 40 inside 9.1 overs before Coughlin’s patience snapped with a swipe across the line against Rayner.
Durham were only two short of posting their sole batting bonus point when Rushworth (15) hit to mid-on, though Wood took a batting point before slog-sweeping Rayner to deep mid-wicket.