AS one of only two clubs to vote against two overseas players per county next season, it seemed rather cruel for Durham to be on the receiving end of a dour debut century from Sven Koenig yesterday.

As the 28-year-old South African has an Italian mother he holds an EU passport and is not regarded as an overseas player.

But as Middlesex have four other South Africa-born players on their staff, plus two born in Australia, one in Kenya, one in Ireland and one in Pakistan, apart from their overseas man, they are rapidly becoming the Chelsea of cricket.

In the end, however, it was a member of the bulldog breed, diminutive wicketkeeper David Nash, who ensured that Koenig's century wasn't wasted.

The determined Nash, who has made runs against Durham before, finished on 55 not out as as an unbroken stand of 37 with Angus Fraser took Middlesex to 326 for eight at the close of the first day of Frizzell County Championship action.

Prior to winning the last four, Durham skipper Jon Lewis lost nine successive championship tosses last season, including two against Middlesex, and Fraser called correctly again yesterday.

There has apparently been a problem with dying roots at the Riverside and the pitch proved utterly docile, so much so that Durham had cause for quiet satisfaction as Middlesex at one stage were 206 for two.

It was not the sort of surface on which a young seamer would want to make his championship debut and Mark Davies, preferred to Neil Killeen, was punished whenever he dropped short and conceded 51 runs in his first ten overs.

He then took a good maiden championship wicket when Irishman Ed Joyce, who had looked comfortable, clipped a return catch, which Davies held brilliantly by his ankles.

Johannesburg-born Andrew Strauss dominated an opening stand of 103 with Durban-born Koenig. Simon Brown induced edged fours from both left-handers early on, otherwise both settled in comfortably.

Playing sweetly off his legs, Strauss had hit ten more boundaries before Koenig straight drove his second when Stephen Harmison returned for a second spell in the 30th over.

Looking thoroughly in tune after his winter with the England Academy, Strauss had waltzed to 70 off 91 balls when he pushed loosely on the front foot at a ball outside off stump from Harmison and edged the first of three well-taken catches for Andrew Pratt.

Three overs later Robin Weston, having square driven Brown handsomely for four, pushed the same bowler firmly into the hands of debutant Gordon Muchall at short leg.

The pitch was far too lifeless for Harmison to pose much threat, but in an otherwise wayward over he beat Owais Shah on four as his Academy teammate carefully spent 14 overs over his first seven runs. He then moved straight from bottom gear into overdrive with seven in an over off Nicky Phillips, including a thumping straight four.

He also drove Collingwood just short of the rope at long-off, but after moving threateningly to 34 he fished at Collingwood's quicker ball and edged to Pratt.

Both Strauss and Shah were victims of getting carried away on a pitch which would reward the sort of patience displayed by Koenig.

Dapper and well-organised, he quietly worked the ball around, reaching 50 off 123 balls. He gradually accelerated and when Harmison came back for a third spell he pulled his first ball in front of square for four to move into the 90s.

If that was his most aggressive stroke to date, he followed it with something more violent when a slog-sweep over mid-wicket off Phillips took him to 100 of 197 balls.

He was understandably jubilant, but his concentration was broken as his feet went nowhere to the next ball and he was lbw.

The threat of another left-handed partnership between Joyce and Paul Weekes soon vanished as Weekes rashly tried to cut Harmison and edged to Pratt.

Durham kept chipping away and off spinner Phillips had a second wicket when Queenslander Ashley Noffke swept to backward square leg, where Muchall turned and dived to hold a superb catch.

Nash defied his stature with some forthright blows, particularly off Phillips, one of which inflicted a hand injury which forced the bowler to retire.

Durham also lost Brown late in the day when he was struck on the shins by a drive from Fraser, and they will hope that the left-armer is fit enough this morning to help polish off the innings with the new ball.

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