No play possible at Lord's

No play was possible on the first day at Lord's in only the second County Championship meeting between Middlesex and Durham in 10 years.

The rain stopped just long enough for Durham skipper Phil Mustard to win the toss shortly after the scheduled start.

As in last week's home defeat by Nottinghamshire, he asked Middlesex to bat but, with his bowlers preparing to take on opener Andrew Strauss, the rain returned.

There were occasional bursts of sunshine but every time the groundstaff began to mop up, the heavens opened, preventing any entertainment for the 2,000 schoolchildren to whom free tickets had been given.