Michael Jones' career-best 206 not out drives Durham into ascendancy

Michael Jones scored a career-best 206 to anchor Durham's innings of 421 for seven declared on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash against Middlesex at Seat Unique Riverside.

Resuming on an overnight score of 78, the Durham opener played a perfect knock to play himself in before taking the attack to the visitors. Jones notched 28 boundaries and three sixes to post his maiden double-hundred, ensuring that Durham recorded four valuable batting points after losing the majority of day one due to rain.

Scott Borthwick and David Bedingham supported Jones with half-centuries as the hosts opted to declare in an attempt to force a result over the final two days, while Toby Roland-Jones finished with impressive figures of four for 67 from his 28.3 overs. Middlesex openers Sam Robson and Mark Stoneman then saw their side through to the close unbeaten, although still trailing Durham's total by 378 runs.

Play was delayed in the morning session due to overnight rain, and when it began Durham added only nine runs to their overnight total before Roland-Jones nipped one back to bowl Alex Lees for 46, ending the opening stand for 141 as the left-hander failed to add to his total. The Middlesex bowlers attempted to make further inroads in a miserly first hour and bowled a tight line and length to keep Jones penned down on 99 for 19 deliveries.

The opener endured a nervy wait, but finally got over the line by piercing a gap between mid-wicket and mid-on to notch his second first-class century. Borthwick and Jones built the foundations of another solid partnership, passing fifty before the lunch break with the hosts adding a patient 71 runs in the session for the loss of only Lees.

Borthwick found his rhythm after lunch and worked his way to his sixth fifty of the season, but for the sixth time of the campaign the Durham skipper failed to convert his platform into a hundred. The left-hander played a loose waft against Umesh Yadav to present the seamer with a simple return catch for 55, ending a stand worth 107 for the second wicket. Nic Maddinson had a brief stay in the middle as a stumble going for a second run cost the Aussie as he was run out by Yadav and Bamber for 17.

Jones continued his fine knock and opted for an aggressive approach after being struck on the head by a Yadav bouncer. He dispatched a four and two sixes in three-straight deliveries off Yadav to power his way to his first score of over 150 in first-class cricket. The 24-year-old pressed on in the evening session and recorded his maiden double-century with a drive into the off-side, reaching the milestone from 373 balls.

Jones' mammoth innings was ended by Roland-Jones lbw for 206, but only after putting Durham into a dominant position. Bedingham added a quick-fire 62 from 87 balls as the hosts accelerated the run rate before declaring to leave themselves an hour to bowl at Middlesex. However, the visitors got through to stumps unscathed, leaving the match in the balance heading into day three.