Middlesex out for 89 as Durham handed chance of Lord's win
Monday 4 May 2015 20:06, UK
Middlesex went from strong favourites to struggling and back to favourites on an incredible Monday's play against Durham at Lord's.
The home side decided not to enforce the follow-on after claiming a 169-run lead on first innings, but they were then bowled out for only 89 to set Durham a target of 259 for victory in their LV= County Championship Division One clash.
But they bounced back in the final session to claim a couple of Durham wickets and reduce them to 24-2 before bad light brought an early end to play after 18 wickets had fallen.
Durham started day three on 157-4 but fell 20 runs short of their follow-on target despite a fine innings of 98 from opener Keaton Jennings, who was the sixth wicket to fall, one of two victims for Australia all-rounder Adam Voges.
James Harris claimed a couple of late wickets to finish on 4-69, but Middlesex captain Voges decided to bat again and was soon regretting his move.
Chris Rushworth, who earlier scored 40 as night-watchman, took the first four wickets to fall as they were reduced to 35-4 and then John Hastings took over with three wickets in his first two overs as Middlesex slumped to 37-7.
Rushworth returned to complete his five-fer and Hastings also took his tally to five when he ended an annoying 10th wicket stand of 39 by trapping Steven Finn for 15 - No 11 Tim Murtagh, batting with a runner after tearing his hamstring while bowling, was Middlesex's top scorer on 22 as they were dismissed for 89.
But Durham's euphoria was short-lived as Jennings was dismissed for a sixth ball duck, caught off the bowling of Harris, who also accounted for Mark Stoneman on 11.
Scott Borthwick and Michael Richardson saw Durham to 24-2 by the time the light became too bad to continue, 245 runs short of what had looked like an unlikely victory.
Ben Cox played a starring role with the bat as Worcestershire moved into a handy lead after two days of their clash with Somerset at New Road.
Wicket-keeper Cox scored only his second first-class century and his innings of 109 helped Worcestershire reach 402, a lead of 152 on first innings.
He hit 14 fours and two sixes and was part of a superb stand of 168 for the seventh wicket with Joe Leach, who fell five runs shy of joining Cox in the century club - he also smashed 14 fours and two maximums.
Leach was dismissed by veteran Somerset seamer Alfonso Thomas, who took 4-81 as their best bowler. Recent England call-up Lewis Gregory took 2-96, but was responsible for ending Cox's 162-ball innings.