IT was a throwback to the dark days of 1996, when an unknown named David Follett took eight for 22 to dismiss Durham for 67 at Lord's.

They were in danger of falling shamefully short of that at 53 for nine yesterday, but were spared the ultimate indignity by Chris Rushworth and Paul Coughlin taking the total to 71.

James Harris, who took nine for 34 bowling into a strong wind, is a little better known than Follett, who quickly vanished from view after his 1996 heroics.

Swansea-born Harris, now 24, made his debut for Glamorgan seconds aged 14 and was tipped as an England prospect throughout his teens. He has played for England Lions but hadn't really kicked on since joining Middlesex until this season, when he had already taken 13 wickets in two games before recording match figures of 13 for 103 in this match.

The impression at the outset was that whoever had to bowl into the strong wind from the nursery end would struggle and with Middlesex a bowler short following Tim Murtagh's injury the omens were in Durham's favour.

While Steve Finn charged in from the pavilion end, the wind forced Harris to abort his run-up on his second ball of the day, but he soon began to reap rewards for bowling full and straight.

With two already in the bag when Durham resumed on 24 for two in pursuit of 259 to win, Harris took the next five and had figures of seven for 20 after eight overs.

Finn spoilt his chances of taking all ten when he claimed the eighth wicket by having Usman Arshad caught in the slips off bat and pad. That was shortly after Arshad carved him over cover for six in a rare gesture of defiance.

There is always talk of remaining positive, but uncertainty clearly clouded the batsmen's judgement once Michael Richardson shouldered arms to one which hurried through to splatter off and middle in the day's third over.

Calum MacLeod was trapped on the crease by another one which skidded on to pin him lbw for a duck and victory hopes virtually vanished when Paul Collingwood went first ball. He pushed forward and got a big inside edge into his stumps.

Phil Mustard followed his natural inclination to attack, only to edge a drive straight to second slip and three balls later Scott Borthwick's attempts to hold things together ended.

He made the top score of 14 before he was seventh out with the total on 39, feeling for one he could probably have left and edging to Adam Voges at first slip.

John Hastings shuffled into a straight one to record the fourth duck before, as in Middlesex's second innings, the last-wicket stand became the highest of the innings.

Rushworth and Coughlin, unbeaten on 13, put on 18 before Rushworth edged to wicketkeeper John Simpson.

He was out ten minutes earlier than the previous day, at which point 15 wickets had fallen in a 209.3 overs of a slow-moving match which looked destined for a draw. Then 25 wickets went down in 68.3 overs, leaving Collingwood to rue his decision to bowl first.