Day One of this game between Middlesex and Durham had been played in mid – summer heat beneath a blazing sun. The forecast for this second day was a lot more late spring than early summer. Or perhaps ‘typical bank holiday’ weather would be a more accurate description for British folk who love nothing more than gazing upwards, tutting and harumphing. How often do conversations start with “Well goodness me, the weather today is just perfect”? It’s just not really very British.
Middlesex resumed on 272 for 6, with Ryan Higgins on 57 and Zafar Gohar yet to score. For Higgins, a welcome sign that he is finding some batting form alongside his redoubtable bowling. For Gohar, newly England qualified, both runs and wickets will be needed to get him noticed by an England hierarchy with something of a blind spot when it comes to the Championship, particularly the second tier. With England’s captain Ben Stokes in attendance however, this match would not be a bad one to pick to show your mettle.
Batting Point target achieved
A more prosaic, but none the less pressing matter for Middlesex, was securing a second batting point, which after a steady start against accurate Durham bowling duly arrived. Gohar had enjoyed a slice of fortune on just three, his flashing edge off Kasey Aldridge burst through the hands of David Bedingham at second slip. The fact that it then ran on down to the Edrich Stand boundary an indication of just how sharp a chance it was. From there, however, both Higgins and Gohar advanced solidly initially and then with more flourish. First a fifty partnership and then, to the delight of the home crowd, to his first hundred since late August 2024. That had been in a high scoring Headingley draw.
Durham’s attack with the likes of Mathew Potts, Kemar Roach and Ben Raine, not to mention Callum Parkinson is of the highest quality, as is their batting. This Lords track appears more compliant to batter’s needs than to bowlers though, so both Ryan Higgins and Middlesex will be hoping this century has been achieved in a winning cause. That said, as lunchtime approached, Durham’s debutant Luke Robinson bowling from the Pavilion End, twice struck Higgins. The first a legitimate a rising delivery. The second seeming to be one that the batter rather ducked into expecting it to lift more than it did. Whilst Higgins was getting the attention in more ways than one, Zafar Gohar was not to be outdone and he twice launched sixes into the Grandstand off Aldridge and then Robinson. A hundred partnership and also a hundred runs in the morning session, sent Middlesex to lunch on 372 for 6, much the happier of the two sides with Higgins 111 and Gohar 45 undefeated.
After lunch Middlesex were clearly looking power on. Twenty four runs came at a clip and Gohar reached a fine 50 in the process, but perished soon after for 56, losing his off stump to the ever accurate Ben Raine. The 7th wicket partnership between Gohar and Higgins had netted 125 extremely useful runs for the home side.
New boy, South African Eathan Bosch, brother of Corbin, joined Higgins, but as is often the way, one brings two and Higgins departed, brilliantly held by Aldrich at slip for a magnificent 131 again off Raine. Five for Raine and the 18th five wicket haul of a fine fifteen year Championship career. From there however, the end came quickly. Seb Morgan was hugely unfortunate to be given LBW to Aldridge for a lively 14 and Toby Roland Jones, on some days a smasher of late order runs was also LBW after just three deliveries, providing Luke Robinson his debut wicket in the process. Eathan Bosch had looked tidy on 13 for his red inker. 430 will have satisfied Middlesex and also left Durham thinking they had restricted damage. The clock had ticked past 3 pm and there was no sign of the expected rain yet either.
An early strike and a drop in Durham’s response
Durham opened their response at a clip, with Alex Lees and Ben Mckinney finding an uncharacteristically wayward Roland-Jones from the Pavilion End to their liking. Ryan Higgins from the Nursery End was a different prospect. Buoyed by his fine ton and as niggling and frugal as ever, he had one very convincing shout turned down before the second was undeniable to remove Lees for 12 and Durham on 19. A second wicket really should have fallen on 55 when Emilio Gay edged Seb Morgan to Robson at slip only for the ball to wriggle away from the former England opener. Slip catches don’t come much more straightforward and Gay, hotly tipped for an England call up this summer, is dangerous man to grant a life to.
By tea, the clouds finally read the script and started to gather ominously. Durham had sprinted to 77 for 1 with Gay (44) and McKinney (20) looking untroubled. Gay particularly, following his 159* at Old Trafford seemed well set to punish Middlesex for their earlier drop.
The Lords floodlights shone brightly on the resumption after tea and it seemed too that Roland-Jones had recovered some of his poise whilst Higgins continued to probe with metronomic accuracy. Gay, inevitably eased to his 50 with a smart pull, although equally noticeable was Josh de Caires exaggerated mime, presumably to draw the umpires’ attention to the fact he had no idea where the ball had gone in the gloom.
Durham’s hundred ticked up in 24 overs and as the skies got ever darker, Gay smashed Gohar over long on for his first six. It was perplexing indeed that the umpires had not taken the players off. Short of giving all the fielders mining helmets it was hard to see (no pun intended) what more persuasion they needed. Finally, at 5.30 they relented just as the promised rain also arrived. With Gay on 75, McKinney 46 and Durham 135 for 1, 295 behind but with 8 wickets in hand, this game is nicely poised. Weather permitting.
