Close, Day Four: Durham (305/4; Stoneman 141*; Finn 3/64) drew with Middlesex (389; Malan 74; Stokes 4/80)
Only 14 balls were possible on Day Four as Durham and Middlesex eventually shook on a draw just after 3pm on the final day at the Emirates Riverside.
The short spell of play just after 1:40 did allow for the home side to cross 300 and therefore reach a third batting point, taking their match tally to 11 points.
Mark Stoneman added a couple to his overnight score as the five runs required for the bonus point came in the five remaining deliveries of Toby Roland-Jones’ over from Monday evening.
There had been little rain throughout the day until that point, but the overnight elements left the umpires deeming the outfield still too sodden to start playing on.
And after the short interlude of play, with a grim forecast looming, there was little hope of seeing more play and so it proved.
Close, Day Three: Durham (295/4; Stoneman 139*, Burnham 61; Finn 3/64) trail Middlesex (389 all out; Malan 74; Stokes 4/80) by 94 runs.
Durham’s third completely washed out day of the season put the prospect of a result in doubt against Middlesex in the Specsavers County Championship.
An array of snow, sleet and rain showers across the day kept the teams inside the changing rooms until the umpires called a halt shortly after 4pm.
The players were initially warming up on the Emirates Riverside pitch until the first spell of inclement weather arrived 20 minutes before play was due to commence.
It leaves another race against time as they aim to chalk their first win of the 2016 season on the board.
Mark Stoneman remains unbeaten on 139* after a fine century on Day Two, with Durham trailing the visitors by 94 runs.
Close, Day Two: Durham (295/4; Stoneman 139*, Burnham 61; Finn 3/64) trail Middlesex (389 all out; Malan 74; Stokes 4/80) by 94 runs.
Mark Stoneman struck a fine unbeaten century as Durham fought back with an excellent second day in the Specsavers County Championship clash with Middlesex.
The 28-year-old chalked up his first three figures of 2016 on a bitterly cold and windy day in the North East in which snow stopped play with two overs left.
He was well supported by England under-19 star Jack Burnham in a century stand for the third wicket as they made the visitors’ bowling attack run out of ideas during the afternoon session.
Ben Stokes had earlier finished off two of the remaining three batsmen in bowling out the visitors for 389, finishing with figures of 4/80.
Play was briefly threatened by snow this morning – yes, it is April! – but the elements cleared quickly to allow a start on time and it took 40 minutes for Durham to knock the remaining three batsmen over.
Stokes removed overnight batsmen Paul Stirling, who rather invitingly dangled his bat outside the off stump and edged to Michael Richardson, before the wicketkeeper completed a less straightforward catch to remove Tim Murtagh down the leg side.
Last man Finn provided brief resistance before Stokes finished the innings off, clean bowling the England fast bowler.
The Middlesex players emerged with a choice selection of beanie hats and caps as they attempted to stave off the biting northern wind.
Their bowlers had not warmed to the task as Stoneman and Keaton Jennings set off quickly, with the latter hitting successive fours off Finn as they raced to 50 inside eight overs.
But the England man struck back as Jennings feathered an attempted pull to wicketkeeper John Simpson and replacement Borthwick perished before lunch too, nicking off after Harris found some extra bounce.
It halted the innings’ momentum slightly and Burnham was forced to graft for runs, with one coming inside his first 16 deliveries.
The arrival of sunshine during the afternoon session hardly made things any warmer for the hardy souls inside the Emirates Riverside, though Stoneman and his partner began to up the run rate.
With a watchful eye, the opener waited patiently for the bad balls and Burnham creamed a succession of cover drives as the visitors toiled in the bitterly cold conditions.
The latter reached his half century with a sumptuous drive and in the over before tea, Stoneman went to three figures in the same fashion from 139 deliveries.
Burnham couldn’t add to his score post-tea as Finn trapped him lbw as he pushed forward, before the quick bowler got revenge as Stirling took a great diving catch to remove Stokes.
Just as the visitors did the previous evening, though, Richardson helped to rebuild with the third half century partnership of the innings.
The wicketkeeper did survive a large lbw appeal with eight overs left but safely negotiated the second new ball to accompany Stoneman as snow curtailed the day’s play, leaving Durham in a good position ahead of the final two days.
Close, Day One: Middlesex (358/7; Malan 74; Onions 2/59, Stokes 2/66) vs Durham
Ben Stokes returned to the side with two wickets on a keenly contested first day of Specsavers County Championship action against Middlesex.
The 24-year-old snared visiting captain Adam Voges and then Paul Stirling in the final over as Durham’s bowling unit picked up seven wickets on Day One.
Middlesex put together a number of solid partnerships, with a fourth wicket stand of 90 between Voges and Dawid Malan frustrating the hosts throughout the afternoon.
But four wickets in the final session pegged things back slightly for the Riversiders ahead of tomorrow’s second day.
Voges fooled most by asking for the toss and elected to bat first upon doing so, choosing to make first use of an excellent looking pitch.
The one change for Durham was the return of Stokes for fellow all-rounder Usman Arshad, with Brydon Carse keeping his spot after an impressive Championship debut against Somerset.
While Nick Gubbins was off the mark with two boundaries, it was not plain sailing in the early stages as Chris Rushworth was perhaps unlucky not to strike in his opening spell.
Stokes was soon into the attack with a maiden and almost had Sam Robson caught down the leg side, though he wasn’t too last too much longer.
Carse, employed from the Lumley End, got his revenge after successive fours by cleaning up the opener with one that nipped back through bat and pad.
The 20-year-old continued to create good pressure, beating the bat numerous times and having a large lbw appeal turned down against Nick Compton, but the Middlesex batsmen weathered the storm and headed towards lunch, bringing up three figures in the process.
But another bowling change did the trick as Onions, coming around the wicket, drew a false shot from Gubbins as he swung across the line and was trapped lbw.
The visitors began to rebuild once again after lunch led by Compton, a recent England call-up and a man with an exceptional record at the Emirates Riverside, with an average of over 95 from nine innings prior to today.
He and Dawid Malan brought up a half-century partnership before the former became Pringle’s first wicket, dragging a shorter delivery straight onto his stumps.
The off-spinner appeared to strike again soon after as Paul Collingwood pouched a catch at slip, but the eagle eyed umpire spotted the ball had ricocheted off wicketkeeper Michael Richardson and not the bat of captain Voges.
Undeterred by the close call, the Aussie teamed up with Malan and the pair frustrated Durham before upping the run-rate shortly before tea.
It took Voges one ball to reach his half-century post-tea but both fell with the score on 267. Malan nibbled unnecessarily at Rushworth outside off stump and nicked through to Michael Richardson, before Borthwick pouched a superb catch to hand Stokes his wicket.