WHAT looked a gamble when Durham chose to bat at Lord's initially paid off with an opening stand of 74 before disaster struck.

Four wickets fell on the same total and it could have been 74 for five, but Michael Richardson was dropped second ball by Steve Eskinazi at slip off Ollie Rayner and Durham reached 100 for four at lunch.

Lord's pitches have lacked life this season, producing dull draws, so more grass was left on this surface. As at Taunton, however, it is dry enough to take spin and Rayner struck with his seventh ball.

It was tough going early on and Mark Stoneman was dropped by Rayner at second slip off Tim Murtagh on four.

But it seemed Durham could prosper when young seamer Harry Podmore, preferred to last year's destroyer James Harris, came on first change and was hit for two fours in his first over by Keaton Jennings.

Having shared seven half-century stands in the first nine innings of the season, Durham's openers duly ended a run of four games without one.

Stoneman brought up the 50 with a lofted drive just wide of mid-on off Murtagh then edged him just wide of the slips, only to depart for 46 when he skied an attemped pull off James Franklin. Wicketkeeper John Simpson took the catch.

Franklin's left-arm swing has always looked innocuous against Durham, but he claimed another wicket in his next over with the help of umpire Alex Wharf.

Jennings played forward down the line of leg stump and was clearly surprised to be given out lbw for 27, nine short of 1,000 runs.

Scott Borthwick played forward defensively and was beaten by turn as Rayner clipped his off stump, then Richardson drove the next ball square on the off side.

Jack Burnham set off for a non-existent run and was unable to get back.

Richardson was dropped off the next ball and Middlesex skipper Franklin took the strange decision to take Rayner off after two overs, recalling Toby Roland-Jones.

He had a big lbw appeal against Paul Collingwood turned down and the skipper was on nine at lunch, with Richardson on 16.