ON the sort of day which makes a mockery of global warming Durham were made to toil by an impressive Middlesex line-up.

Although several surrendered when well set, the visiting batsmen all passed 25 in reaching 358 for seven at the close of the first day.

Ben Stokes was reported to have a touch of flu ahead of his return to action and was excused pre-match activities.

He could hardly be blamed for preferring the warmth of the dressing room and looked lively enough when he came on for the tenth over.

In contrast to the last four balls he sent down, which cost 24, he opened up with a maiden. He had to wait until his third spell for any reward as five bowlers took a wicket each before Stokes and Graham Onions grabbed their second with the new ball.

Stokes was still going strong in his 22nd over when he had Jamie Harris lbw in the day's final over.

Onions said: “Ben wasn't well, so all credit to him for the way he performed. He's a massive asset to any team and we just want him to express himself.

“What happened in that final over in India would have hurt him because he wants to win games for England. But he's got great character and I would back him if that situation arose again.

“It's been a testing day but we did well to take seven wickets on a good pitch against a strong batting line-up. We just to need to knock the tail over quickly tomorrow.”

Onions shared the new ball with Chris Rushworth, who caused early problems. But his only success was in removing top scorer Dawid Malan for 74.

Cricket balls do not swing in such numbing temperatures and there was also little help in the placid pitch after the recent dry spell.

Middlesex's Director of Cricket, Angus Fraser, had emailed Durham coach Jon Lewis in January to say they would take advantage of the new rule and bowl without the need of a toss.

Lewis must have wished he could hold Fraser to his initial instinct as once the coin came down wrongly for Paul Collingwood the die was cast.

There was some afternoon sunshine, but there was no dispensing of woolly hats, gloves and blankets for the hardy spectators.

While keeping their seamers warm in short bursts from one end, Durham relied on off-spinner Ryan Pringle to do the holding job at the other.

In traditionally seam-friendly conditions at this time of year, spin is a rare sight at Riverside. But Pringle was on for the 22nd over and bowled 15 tidy overs before he started to drop short in his last three before tea. Visiting capain Adam Voges hit him for five fours as those three overs cost 25.

Durham retained South Africa-born paceman Brydon Carse at the expense of Usman Arshad and while he produced a beauty to end an opening stand of 58 he leaked runs at seven an over.

Sam Robson was his victim after making 26. After hitting the previous two balls for four, Robson had his off and middle stumps splattered by one which might have done him for pace as much as slight inward movement.

Carse also gave Nick Compton some discomfort while he settled in, but left-hander Nick Gubbins cut and pulled him for three successive fours in passing 50 off 67 balls.

Onions returned and after driving him wide of mid-off for four Gubbins got carried away and tried to pull a ball from off stump which wasn't short enough for the shot. He was adjudged lbw for 60.

A similar error brought Durham's only success of the afternoon, resulting from a rare rush of blood from Compton, who had looked just as comfortable as Malan in a stand of 76.

Compton was on 38 when he dragged an attempted pull off Pringle into his stumps.

There was no sign of turn, but Pringle twice drifted balls past Voges' outside edge and the Australian Test player was also lucky to inside-edge Carse just wide of leg stump.

The fourth-wicket pair had added 90 when both fell on 267. Malan opened the face and tried to work Rushworth square on the off-side, only to edge to Michael Richardson.

Then Voges pushed forward to a good ball from Stokes and edged to second slip, where Scott Borthwick held a sharp catch by his right knee.

Hopes that the door was ajar disappeared in a stand of 71 in 18 overs between wicketkeeper John Simpson and Irishman Paul Stirling.

It was ended by the first delivery with the new ball, Onions going round the wicket to the left-handed Simpson, who shuffled into it and was lbw.

Then Durham's spirits were given another lift by Stokes's strike in the final over.