Youngster Luis Reece and Daniel Bell-Drummond struck impressive half-centuries as MCC gained a slender advantage on day two of the County Champion game versus Durham in Abu Dhabi.
Beginning in pursuit of Durham’s first-innings 248, Lancashire opener Reece led the charge with 85 and Kent’s Bell-Drummond contributed 54 as the pair outshone international talent such as skipper Virender Sehway and Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene within the MCC ranks.
But Durham battled back, with left-arm seamer Jamie Harrison claiming 5-60 as their opponents subsided from 184 for two to 282 all out, before reaching 39 for one at stumps.
Reece cemented a place at the top of Lancashire’s order alongside Paul Horton with a string of superb displays last summer and he appeared in fine touch once more, sharing an opening stand of 57 alongside Sam Robson – the Middlesex man back in action following a stellar winter with England’s Elite Performance Programme and Lions squads.
Usman Arshad trapped Robson lbw for 28 and a further 112 runs were added by the time Bell-Drummond departed in similar fashion to Chris Rushworth, having struck seven fours.
Leg-spinning all-rounder Scott Borthwick was a half-centurion on day one and the England man made a vital impact just as the game appeared to be slipping away from the LV= County Championship Division One titleists.
Sehway has tormented many a slow bowler throughout his stellar career, but the Indian superstar fell for just five to Borthwick - pouched at mid-on by Arshad.
Following a pair of vocal lbw shout, Borthwick also removed Reece on his way to hard-earned figures of 3-95 from 27 overs in sapping heat.
But if Durham’s star spinner left the door ajar, it was paceman Harrison who battered it down with a sensational burst after tea.
Having gone wicketless with the new ball during the morning session, Harrison was the destroyer in chief – having Samit Patel caught at the wicket and brutally dispatching the MCC tail.
Ollie Rayner offered some resistance with 27 but the Middlesex off-spinner joined Kyle Hogg, Andre Adams and Monty Panesar in being sent back to the pavilion as Harrison offered an object lesson in how to deal with lower-order batsmen.
Unfortunately for Durham, Keaton Jennings could not add to his first-innings 64 as Hogg rearranged his furniture before he had chance to trouble the scorers.
Borthwick joined skipper Mark Stoneman to negotiate 5.4 overs and the duo had 12 and 27 to their respective names when stumps were drawn.
