Maher the rock on which Durham base their hopes

IN A contest in which both sides have the words Northern Rock printed on their shirts, Durham looked like earning modest returns on the investment made by Jimmy Maher until Phil Mustard and Ottis Gibson capitalised in the evening.

From 119 for one against Middlesex at Riverside, Durham had slipped to 208 for six when Maher was out for 106 but the seventhwicket pair mixed vigilance with their usual cavalier strokes in putting on 88.

Chris Silverwood, who had three catches dropped, then earned some belated reward for his impressive efforts, taking three wickets with the new ball as Durham closed on 340 for nine.

It was a day of hard labour, particularly for Mrs Hayley Harmison, who presented husband Steve with his third daughter, preventing the England paceman from making his expected return after injury.

Harmison withdrew before the start to be present at the birth. As it happened, he would not have been needed, with Durham batting all day after winning the toss.

He will now have to play in next week's game against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge to prove his fitness for the second Test.

Harmison's absence meant Durham needed to make only one change to accommodate Mick Lewis, and Neil Killeen could count himself unlucky to be left out after bowling well for little return in terms of wickets.

In glorious weather, Maher overcame a tough start to become the first day's northern rock as he grafted for his first Durham century off 187 balls.

Maher and Jon Lewis had to battle hard for the first 20 overs, particularly against an excellent opening spell from Silverwood.

Looking eager to impress, the Yorkshireman ran in strongly, extracted good life from the pitch and troubled both batsmen.

Maher clipped the first ball he faced neatly behind square for four, but without addition he was dropped by Ed Joyce at second slip off Silverwood in the fifth over.

Lewis cut the paceman for four in his sixth over, but other than the two boundaries Silverwood conceded only five singles in his sevenover burst and was unlucky not to take a wicket.

Maher said later: "It's a good pitch but it's a bit two-paced and they bowled exceptionally well with the new ball. Silverwood could have had six wickets.

"We had to be really patient and not do anything silly and to get through to lunch on 95 for one was a good effort.

"This is a great club to be part of and it's really special to make my first hundred here. I arrived in the form of my life, so I was keen for it to continue."

After his opening burst Silverwood was replaced by Melvyn Betts, who has never seemed quite the same since he left Sacriston for supposedly greener pastures.

His nine championship games for Middlesex last summer produced 22 wickets at 38.09, and with Scott Styris arriving from New Zealand shortly, his place could be under threat.

The mane is a little shaggier but the bustle to the crease is slightly less energetic and there was little menace in his first four-over spell.

It was in the 22nd over that Maher began to feel the benefits of his graft. A swivel-pull off Alan Richardson flew behind square for four and he turned the next ball to the fine-leg boundary.

An on-drive for four followed, forcing Middlesex to turn to the offspin of James Dalrymple with the total on 78 after 27 overs, having doubled in the previous six overs.

Lewis tried to sweep Dalrymple's sixth ball but it was a quicker, straight one and had him lbw as he over-balanced.

Maher had gone from 16 to 50 in seven overs when he cut Johann Louw for his tenth four and was on 58 out of 95 at lunch.

But he had to knuckle down once wickets started to fall. Gordon Muchall was lucky to survive a topedged hook off Silverwood, which just eluded wicketkeeper Ben Scott, but the bowler had his reward shortly afterwards.

Muchall shaped to drive a ball which moved away to take the edge on the way to Scott.

Betts returned and the chance to bowl to a fellow Durham product seemed to put an extra spring in his step as his first ball brought an lbw appeal and the fifth ball repeat was successful to see off Gary Pratt.

Skipper Dale Benkenstein moved comfortably to 19 before clipping Betts to mid-wicket and when Gareth Breese was bowled off stump by Dalrymple, playing for non-existent turn, Durham were in danger of squandering their good start.

Maher was fed a lot of singles as Middlesex tried to keep him off strike and there were only six fours in his second 50, including the one he swept to fine leg off Dalrymple to reach his century.

Once his jubilation subsided he settled down again and looked determined to continue holding the innings together.

But on 106 he shaped to turn Louw to leg, only for the ball to leave him off the pitch and take the edge, giving Scott a comfortable catch.

As in his 130 at Canterbury three weeks ago, Mustard demonstrated his new-found concentration inbetween his thunderous strokes.

On 22 he drove Dalrymple over the sightscreen at the Lumley End and was on 47 when Silverwood took the new ball.

Mustard pushed into the covers for two then survived a sharp return chance before twice driving fours through the off-side in the same over.

Silverwood produced a snorter to have Gibson caught behind, then had Callum Thorp lbw before Graham Onions gave useful support.

On 67 Mustard sweetly picked up Louw over square leg for six then cracked the next ball over extra cover for four.

The South African obviously didn't like it, but he was spared further punishment as Mustard was bowled for 78 when he went back to a ball from Silverwood which kept low.

Onions hinted at previously unseen batting skills with a classic cover drive and will resume on 20 today hoping to score the ten runs Durham need for a fourth batting point.

Scorecard

Durham v Middlesex at Riverside (Durham Won Toss)

Durham First Innings Close
J J Lewis lbw b Dalrymple 21
(over-balanced trying to sweep 95b, 2-4s)
J P Maher c Scott b Louw 106
(edged ball which left him off pitch 207b, 16-4s)
G J Muchall c Scott b Silverwood 17
(edged drive to keeper 29b, 2-4s)
G J Pratt lbw b Betts 8
(half forward, ball swung in 24b, 1-4)
D M Benkenstein c Hutton b Betts 19
(clipped to mid-wicket 28b, 4-4s)
G R Breese b Dalrymple 8
(played inside straight ball 28b, 1-4)
P Mustard b Silverwood 78
(played back to ball which kept low 114b, 10-
4s, 2-6s)
O D Gibson c Scott b Silverwood 38
(edged excellent away swinger 65b, 7-4s)
C D Thorp lbw b Silverwood 4
(beaten for pace 8b)
G Onions not out 20
(27b, 3-4s)
M L Lewis not out 0
Extras (lb4 w1 nb16 pens 0) 21
Total 9 wkts (104 overs) 340
Fall: 1-78 2-119 3-131 4-159 5-192 6-208 7-
296 8-302 9-327
Bowling: Silverwood 26-4-85-4. Louw 29-6-94-
1. Betts 9-1-29-2. Richardson 18-4-71-0.
Dalrymple 22-4-57-2.