So after the women's match at Edmonton got rained off we move back to Middlesex vs Durham for day two and I get there just in time to see Harris edge behind, Franklin having already gone and Middlesex now six down.
The first ball I get there for, Harris edges Hastings behind as Middlesex had now slipped to 341-6. It was down to Dexter and Simpson to further the cause, and Durham failed to blast out the lower order as the sun came out and batting was relatively easy. Dexter was next to fall, heaving a Hastings bouncer to Usman Arshad at fine leg who took a good tumbling catch. Rayner hit a quick 16 before falling LBW to Rushworth for 16 and Murtagh was bowled heaving Borthwick for 11.
Simpson completed his 50 from 89 balls before hitting Hasting straight to mid off to be the last man out for 58 as Middlesex finished with a solid 463, Hastings with 4-87 from 33 overs.
Durham started well, with Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings scoring fairly easily early on, helped out by Tim Murtagh limping off with a suspected damaged hamstring after 2 balls. After a couple of quality drives, Stoneman then looked to waft Harris over cover and edged to slip for 21. Borthwick batted a bit like Stoneman with some nice shots before a waft to Franklin found the edge to Simpson for 26. Michael Richardson hit six fours in also making 26 before giving the impressive Harris his 2nd wicket.
Keaton Jennings meanwhile completed a composed 50 and finished the day on 61 but had to watch Calum MacLeod go to the penultimate over of the day, as Finn got one to rise and bowl him off the arm. So Durham end the day 306 runs behind on 157-4 needing a big effort from their middle order to catch Middlesex.
