DURHAM came under fire from Middlesex's big-hitting tail-enders before the declaration allowed Keaton Jennings to become the first batsman in the country to 1,000 championship runs this season.

Middlesex's Nick Gubbins was on 999 when he was out for 145 yesterday, while Kent's Sam Northeast is on 995.

The championship leaders built remorselessy on their carefully-laid platform before declaring on 536 for nine, leading by 332, leaving Durham with 25 minutes to bat before lunch.

They reached 34 without loss, Jennings passing his milestone when he drove two fours through the covers off Toby Roland-Jones in the fourth over.

Mark Wood bowled Ollie Rayner in the day's first over, only for Roland-Jones to smash four sixes in hitting 66 off 47 balls.

Once he had been caught on the long boundary at mid-wicket by Jack Burnham off Adam Hickey, Tim Murtagh also came out swinging and was dropped at long-off by Chris Rushworth, who had to leave the field with a hand injury.

The bowler, Scott Borthwick, had none for 132 at the time but finally claimed a wicket when Murtagh drove to the same position and substitute Ryan Pringle held the catch.

James Franklin promptly declared. He has looked a very ordinary cricketer against Durham in the past, but captaincy must have brought the best out of him as he followed his three wickets with an unbeaten 56.

He had his share of luck, however, skying Wood into leg-side space on 16 and surviving a confident Graham Onions lbw appeal on 18.

Roland-Jones drove a straight six off Hickey, then picked up Onions over the short mid-wicket boundary before Borthwick took over at the nursery end and saw two successive balls disappear in the same direction.

When Durham batted Murtagh beat Mark Stoneman on one with a ball which swung in then left him off the pitch.

Stoneman responded with forcing back-foot shots either side of point off the next two balls for two fours and was on 14 at lunch with Jennings on 20.