Durham 169 (Muchall 64) and 134 for 5 (Borthwick 68*) need 174 more runs to beat Middlesex 196 (Compton 71, Onions 7-68) and 280 (Dexter 112, Malan 63, Rushworth 5-49)
Scorecard

Neil Dexter's 13th first-class century helped Middlesex take command of their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street, although their victory march was delayed by Scott Borthwick.

Needing 308 to win, Durham go into the final day on 134 for 5 with Borthwick unbeaten on 68. They are 16 points behind their second-placed visitors and, although unlikely, victory could take them ahead with Middlesex running the risk of a points deduction. Their over-rate was reading minus four when they finally turned to Ollie Rayner four overs from the close.

Batting was easier under clear skies than on the first day and a half, but Middlesex persevered with seam as their trio of Tim Murtagh, Toby Roland-Jones and James Harris proved the more effective unit.

Chris Rushworth recorded his seventh five-wicket haul of the season, so beating the county record of 80 first class wickets in a season by Ottis Gibson, reinstalled recently as England's bowling coach, a record which he had equalled the previous day, but he had limited support as Middlesex totalled 280 in their second innings.

Graham Onions added two wickets to his seven in the first innings, but John Hastings was clearly struggling after playing in every match this season and debut boy James Weighell remained wicketless.

Durham had to turn to the spinners after the only wicket in the first 90 minutes came from a ball well wide of leg stump, which Dawid Malan was adjudged to have nicked to the wicketkeeper.

Ryan Pringle conceded 19 in his first three overs, Dexter driving him over long-on for six to celebrate his century, in which his fluent driving saw his second 50 come off 55 balls.

But when the off-spinner went round the wicket Dexter nibbled at one outside off stump and edged behind to depart for 112. Borthwick came on for the next over and struck with his first ball, a full toss which had John Simpson lbw when he missed an attempted sweep. Rayner failed to heed the lesson as he went the same way in the leg-spinner's next over.

Three wickets had gone down for one run and only nine more were added before Roland-Jones lofted Onions gently to mid-off.

Reserve wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter, briefly substituting for Mark Stoneman, dropped it and a further 51 were added before Rushworth took the last two wickets with the new ball. It was the second costly miss of the innings as Malan was dropped first ball and made 63.

Durham's rookie opener Graham Clark bagged a pair when he edged the second ball he faced from Roland-Jones and the rest were all lbw.

Only Paul Collingwood, who made 20, looked likely to give prolonged support to Borthwick, who rarely looked troubled in reaching his eighth championship 50 of the season off 95 balls.