WHEN Durham came into the first-class game people used to wonder what Geoff Cook was on about when he spoke of the vagaries of cricket. They know now.

Rarely has the game seemed so inexplicable as at Lord's yesterday, when Chris Rushworth began by comfortably extending his nightwatchman's vigil to 101 minutes then routed Middlesex's top order.

He and John Hastings both took five wickets as Middlesex were dismissed for 89 after a last-wicket stand of 39, leaving Durham a target of 259 to win.

They were 24 for two when bad light ended play with 13 overs to be bowled and just to emphasise the vagaries, it was a day when Keaton Jennings made 98 and nought.

Even with Rushworth in, it was 26 overs into a pleasant day before a wicket fell in a game which had draw written all over it. Yet with no discernible change in conditions 13 wickets fell in the next 30 overs.

From 229 for four Durham subsided to 294 all out, 169 behind, but Middlesex declined to enforce the follow-on in view of being without torn hamstring victim Tim Murtagh.

With Rushworth taking the first four wickets they were 37 for seven after ten overs. Neil Dexter and James Harris survived for eight overs before both departed on 50.

At that point Middlesex were in danger of falling short of the lowest championship total made against Durham, Somerset's 56 at Riverside in 2003.

But Murtagh survived the usual confusion created by batting with a runner to scythe his way to the top score of 22 not out.

When Rushworth rested with five for 38 from 12 overs Hastings switched to the pavilion end and wrapped it up with his second ball, pinning Steve Finn lbw to finish with five for 24.

Bowling full and straight with just enough movement to pose problems, Rushworth gained the first of three lbw decisions when left-hander Nick Gubbins padded up in the third over.

Two overs later Calum MacLeod evoked memories of his sensational catch here in the Royal London Cup final when he flung himself to his left at gully to hold a sliced drive by Nick Compton.

Adam Voges lasted two balls, hitting the first for four before falling lbw and two overs later Sam Robson went the same way for 17.

Paul Coughlin was entrusted with the new ball and found the edge of both openers' bats in an excellent first over. But with wickets tumbling at the other end it was no surprise when Hastings was brought on to bowl at James Franklin, who never looked comfortable against him in the first innings.

The New Zealand left-hander had little stomach for the fight, swishing loosely at the third ball and edging to Phil Mustard.

John Simpson failed to profit from being bowled by a no-ball, edging a low catch to third slip, where Michael Richardson clung on. Two balls later Ollie Rayner's stumps were splattered and Hastings had three for two after three overs.

He picked up his fourth straight after tea, when Dexter edged to Paul Collingwood at first slip and hung around for confirmation that the catch had carried.

Rushworth's haul was completed when MacLeod swooped from gully to hold another catch just above the ground to get rid of Harris.

In addition to the streaky shots which flew from his flailing blade, Murtagh picked up Rushworth for six behind square. After Sussex's record tenth-wicket stand last week, Durham were glad to see this one end.

Batting seemed relatively comfortable in the morning, but it was a big turning point when Jennings fell two runs short of what would have been a carefully-compiled century five minutes before lunch.

To emphasise that there had been no change in conditions, the day's first three wickets resulted from batsman error.

Rushworth was lbw for 40 trying to sweep Rayner and when Voges introduced his rarely-used left-arm spin two overs before lunch Jennings edged a cut to the keeper.

Voges left himself on for an over after the break and Mustard's woes continued when a ball brushed his pads and trickled on to the stumps. He will be under pressure from Stuart Poynter, who made 50 in the second team game at Richmond.

The new ball accounted for what looked a strong tail, leaving Collingwood stranded on 38, but both Usman Arshad and Coughlin got out to over-ambitious shots.

The clouds were rolling over by the time Durham began their second innings and it was bound to be a tricky period. But Jennings, so watchful in the morning, self-destructed by clipping a catch straight to mid-wicket before a good ball from Harris had Mark Stoneman caught at first slip.

Scott Borthwick survived a little shakily and will hope to be there at the end for the third successive game.