Durham struck back after Sam Robson’s century partnership with Max Holden put Middlesex in a promising position on a gritty, evenly balanced opening day at Lord’s.
Robson, who scored a fluent 87 to back up his hundred in the Seaxes’ last Rothesay County Championship game against Northamptonshire, shared a stand of 102 with the tenacious Holden (65) to guide their side to 136 for one.
Durham were hampered by a hamstring injury to opening bowler Kemar Roach, who limped off early in the afternoon, with Luke Robinson drafted in to make his first-class debut as the West Indies quick’s replacement.
But it was Ben Raine who seized the baton, bowling accurately and consistently to pick up three for 39 – including two wickets in an over – and stifle Middlesex’s progress before Ryan Higgins’ unbeaten 57 enabled them to close on 272 for six.
There were a couple of close calls early on for Robson after Leus du Plooy called correctly at the toss and unsurprisingly opted to bat in the sunshine.
Roach, returning to the Durham side, brought one back up the slope that took the edge of the opener’s bat – only for wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson to fumble the chance.
Robson also survived a strong lbw shout by Matthew Potts but gradually settled into his stride with two well-timed straight drives off Roach and Middlesex built steadily without ever really dominating the bowlers.
Raine claimed Durham’s solitary success of the morning, his fourth ball doing just enough to induce a thin edge from Josh de Caires and extend the batter’s run of modest scores – he is yet to reach 20 in six innings so far this season.
Holden started slowly, content to let Robson do the bulk of the scoring, although he pulled the reverse sweep out of his bag to good effect when Durham turned to Callum Parkinson’s left-arm spin.
Having gone to lunch on 49, Robson wasted no time after the resumption in chalking up his half-century, capitalising on the short boundary to cut Roach’s opening ball of the session beyond point for four.
That proved to be a profitable scoring area for Robson, who appeared very much on course to complete back-to-back centuries until he prodded at a Potts outswinger and was taken at slip.
Raine then struck twice in four deliveries, with Du Plooy caught behind fishing outside off stump and Ben Geddes departing for a duck – adjudged lbw to a ball that looked destined to miss leg – to put Middlesex on the back foot at 143 for four.
Higgins lifted the shackles by dispatching Kasey Aldridge for successive boundaries, while Holden brought up his half-century after almost three and a half hours at the crease as the pair guided their side to tea.
Aldridge collected Holden’s scalp, courtesy of Emilio Gay’s impressive diving catch in the covers.
Joe Cracknell was quick to punish the occasional stray ball outside off stump as Middlesex rebuilt during the closing stages, with Higgins digging in to advance to his first half-century of the campaign.
However, Potts broke their sixth-wicket partnership of 72 just before stumps, trapping Cracknell in front for 42 to secure the visitors’ second bowling bonus point.