Durham v Middlesex day two round up

Durham v Middlesex day two round up

Team celebration - Rob Smith

Durham reduced Middlesex to 58-5 by the close of play on day two with the hosts needing to defend 80 runs to claim the win when play resumes on day three at Emirates Durham.

Middlesex resumed play on day two at Emirates Durham ICG on 144-7 and added just 41 to their overnight total for the final three wickets with Michael Richardson catching Tim Murtagh (25) and Steven Finn off Onions and Gareth Berg (37) off Callum Thorp. 

Facing a deficit of 83 as they began their second innings the Durham openers were both dismissed within five overs with Will Smith caught off Finn for 7 and Mark Stoneman (14) caught behind.

Gordon Muchall became the second of Finn’s four victims when he was bowled for 4.  Ben Stokes added 23 before he was caught at gully by Joe Denly off Toby Roland-Jones leaving Durham 68-4 in the 15th over. 

The second highest contribution of the innings came from Dale Benkenstein, who was dismissed on 37 when he was caught by Dawid Malan off the bowling of Murtagh.  Paul Collingwood (14) and Michael Richardson (8) took Roland-Jones’ haul to three in the innings with the former trapped lbw and the latter bowled outright. 

Callum Thorp’s important 60 run partnership with Scott Borthwick was brought to an end by Murtagh, claiming his third wicket of the innings with the keeper holding onto a catch.
Finn cleared up the tail, claiming the scalps of Onions (4) and Chris Rushworth (5), dismissing Durham for 200 with Borthwick unbeaten on 41 and setting Middlesex a target of 118 for the win.

Both Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth struck with the third deliveries of their first overs, dismissing both Middlesex openers without a run being scored.

Middlesex were 27-3 after Rushworth trapped Malan lbw on 15. With Thorp and Rushworth claiming a wicket apiece in the final stages of the day, Middlesex were 58-5, trailing by 60 runs at the close.

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