County Championship: Middlesex thump Durham inside three days at Lord's

Ollie Rayner has 35 Championship wickets in 2016 at an average of 22.51

Middlesex moved a step closer to their first County Championship title since 1993 as they thumped Durham by an innings and 80 runs inside three days.

The Division One leaders added 128 runs in just 19.4 overs as Toby Roland-Jones smashed 66 and James Franklin made 56 not out before declaring on 536-9.

Facing a first-innings deficit of 332, Durham then slipped to 252 all out.

Spinner Ollie Rayner impressed once again, claiming 5-85 to finish with match figures of 9-102.

Middlesex are now 35 points clear of second-placed Somerset, who have a game in hand, and are almost certain to extend their advantage over Yorkshire in third, whose Roses match against Lancashire is heading for a draw.

It was another day of complete dominance for the hosts at Lord's as they reached their highest score against Durham, surpassing the 511 made at the same ground in 1994.

Roland-Jones and skipper Franklin put on exactly 100 for the eighth wicket in just over an hour in the morning - Roland-Jones hitting six fours and four maximums in his 47-ball knock.

Durham opener Keaton Jennings top scored in their second innings with 45 to become the first batsman in the country to pass 1,000 Championship runs, but the visitors never looked close to making Middlesex bat again.

Durham's own hopes of winning the title now look to be fading as they sit 40 points behind Middlesex with five matches remaining, but with a game in hand on the leaders.