Durham open up in style before the rain
DURHAM made a solid start to their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash against Middlesex, posting 132 without loss before rain brought a premature end to day one at Seat Unique Riverside.
Michael Jones produced a fine knock of 78 to lead the way for the home side while Alex Lees scored an unbeaten 46.
Both batsmen looked relatively untroubled in their opening stand before a torrential downpour halted proceedings midway through the afternoon session.
The Durham openers will return for day two today aiming to build on their platform.
The Middlesex bowlers will be looking for more help from the wicket after an unsuccessful initial burst after opting to bowl first in Chester-lestreet.
Middlesex captain Toby Roland-jones won the toss and put Durham into bat on a green wicket at Chester-le-street.
The visitors were looking for early wickets and Ethan Bamber almost prised out England opener Lees with an inside edge - but the ball trickled just wide of leg stump.
It was the only chance offered in the morning session.
Lees alongside Jones blunted the effect of the new ball as the visitors failed to find movement in the air or off the pitch in the opening hour.
Jones was the more positive of the two players and pushed Durham into the lunch break to 77 without loss.
He upped the ante after the lunch break and successive boundaries off Tom Helm brought up his second 50
of the season from 107 balls.
The Durham openers cruised past the 100-run mark for the opening stand, with both players looking extremely comfortable at the crease.
In search for a breakthrough Roland-jones turned to India seamer Umesh Yadav.
He was economical in his burst from the Lumley End but could not find a way through the defences of Lees and Jones, the latter pushing his score to 78, including 14 boundaries, before the elements closed in and brought an early end to the day.
Durham included England paceman Matthew Potts in their team but there was no return for batsman Sean Dickson despite the 30-yearold being originally included in the squad following a hamstring tendon tear.
Young wicketkeeper Tom Mackintosh and teenage seamer Stanley Mcalindon kept their places after impressive performances in the last County Championship match against Derbyshire.
Second-placed Middlesex included former Durham opener Mark Stoneman and England batsman Dawid Malan in their line-up.
DURHAM’S Royal London Cup campaign kicks off at South Northumberland
CC on Thursday, August 4 when Surrey are the visitors.
The club will provide transportation from Seat Unique Riverside to South Northumberland at a cost of £5 return.
Members will be able to park at the ground at Chester-le-street free of charge and travel on a bus which will then take them directly to the Gosforth ground.
Buses will leave from gate six at the Seat Unique Riverside and will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.
The bus is scheduled to leave at 9.30 and will return at 6.30 or shortly after close of play. To book a place, call the box office on 0191 387 1717.