Eight years ago in 2007 I saw James Harris make his debut for Glamorgan at Trent Bridge when still just under the age of 17. He has come a long way since then and the move to Middlesex didn't quite work out as quickly as he would have hoped, but today (Tuesday) he really came of age with a vengeance. Within an hour and twenty minutes of the start of play on the final day at Lord's he had destroyed the Durham run chase before it got started.
Durham began the day on 24-2 requiring a further 235 runs to win this intriguing match. It did not look impossible especially as Middlesex were a bowler short with Murtagh unable to bowl. The small crowd sheltering from a strong westerly wind could not have imagined what was about to happen. Harris had taken the two wickets to fall last night and ran into the wind from the Nursery End while Steve Finn bowled with the wind behind him from the pavilion end.
Borthwick and Richardson were the two overnight batsman and entered the arena with some trepidation in the fierce wind. In the third over Richardson misjudged a delivery from Harris, by not playing a shot and lifting his bat, only for the ball to demolish off and middle stump. Durham were 30-3 with worse to come. In Harris's next over MacLeod was plumb leg before for a duck and captain Collingwood followed next ball playing on to his stumps. Mustard somehow survived the hat-trick ball, but by now Middlesex were cockahoop. Durham's 34-6 became 39-7 when Mustard and Borthwick both perished in Harris' next over to two more good slip catches.
Harris takes the first seven wickets
Simpson takes the last catch and the celebrations begin.
Harris looked certain to take all ten with figures of 7-20, but Finn intervened by dismissing Arshad who had just hit him for six. The original appeal was for lbw and given not out, but a further appeal for a bat pad catch was given. Hastings was another leg before victim for yet another duck and Durham were on the ropes at 53-9. Rushworth and Coughlin were briefly defiant with a stand of 18 for the last wicket, but Harris had the last word when Rushworth was caught behind by Simpson with the score on 71. Middlesex had won this enthralling game by 187 runs and rightly celebrated long and hard. Harris's final figures were 12.1 overs 2 maidens 9 wickets for 34 runs.
Durham all out 71
Harris the hero applauded from the field
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