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Middlesex 536 for 9 dec (Gubbins 145, Compton 131, Roland-Jones 66, Franklin 56*) beat Durham 204 (Rayner 4-17, Franklin 3-26) and 252 (Rayner 5-85) by an innings and 80 runsScorecard August 15 is late in summer for a first home victory. Yet not until Graham Onions chipped Ollie Rayner to midwicket had Middlesex been able to toast a triumph at Lords, their primary home, in the 2016 County Championship. Even allowing for a victory in their single home game away from HQ, it has been an exasperating wait.Five times Middlesex had played Championship matches at Lords; five times they had ended in draws. So they will be entitled to feel as if they have not merely defeated Durham, but also the pitch here. After a succession of slow pitches in previous home games, here Middlesex got a one with more pace, bounce and carry: a fine surface for Championship cricket.No one exploited it better than Rayner. If his limits - the absence of prodigious turn or anything resembling a doosra - are well-know, Rayner has made himself into an indispensable cricketer for Middlesex, and one of the finest spin bowlers in the county game.It has been a triumph for willpower, resolve and bloodymindedness. Rayner moved from Sussex, his home town club, in pursuit of more opportunities. He had to remodel his action after being called for throwing. He has honed his batting to make himself harder to drop, last year declaring: When I see young kids around the grounds in county matches and their mums tell me that they bowl spin and do I have any tips for them, I say, yeah, learn to bat. Never has Rayner shied from bowling when conditions are toughest.Last year, Jeetan Patel criticised English spinners for not spending enough time honing their art. Without wishing to sound full of self-pity, it is not easy being an English spin bowler at this moment in time, Rayner wrote for ESPNcricinfo in response. I, like many other spinners around the country, bowl the majority of my overs on green pitches such as Lords where we are often being used in short bursts to pick up the over rate.Those days are over. Rayner has moved from being a stock bowler to one entrusted to take wickets at crucial times. Indeed, when Durhams openers had begun serenely on the first day, Rayner was tossed the ball at 12.12pm. He promptly took 4 for 17.Here, when Rayner punched the air in jubilation at the match-clinching wicket - he is never one to knowingly undercelebrate any wicket, prizing each as if it is his last - it was the latest proof of his growing importance to Middlesex. A few minutes later, Rayner doffed his caps to the MCC members, and had the honour of leading Middlesex off. How he had earned the right. Rayner had done what spinners are meant to, bowling Middlesex to victory in the second innings. Match figures of 9 for 102, and a haul of 35 Championship wickets at 22.51 this season, are a triumph for his thirst for self-improvement - and, perhaps, the ECBs attempts to encourage spin bowling.Ollie was still a good spinner last year but because his understanding of what hes trying to do has improved, I think hes really improved as a spin bowler, James Franklin, Middlesexs captain in this game, said. The wickets have obviously helped: it helps when you see the ball grip as a spinner, so I think hes taken huge confidence and encouragement from what hes done this year.Ollie is starting to understand his art, and the different paces that he needs to bowl on different wickets and to different batsmen and also the fields hes setting. Hes prepared to give the ball a bit of air this year, and long may that continue.For Middlesex these three days could scarcely have gone better. Frolics from Toby Roland-Jones lifted their lead to 332 in the morning while, in between Rayners wickets in the afternoon, Harry Podmore showcased a strong repeatable action in a fine spell that included the scalp of Paul Collingwood, playing on to a ball that nipped back down the slope. It was the latest evidence of the depth of Middlesexs squad; even the absence of Steve Finn, Eoin Morgan, Sam Robson and an overseas player for this game never looked like stymying them. We dont just back 12 or 13 players - we back the whole squad Franklin said. Guys like Stevie Eskinazi have come in and had an outstanding start to their careers. Harry Podmores another one.But Durham could reflect with no pride on their performance in this game. Unbeaten until August, this was their second consecutive defeat inside three days. While at Taunton they had reason to grumble about the pitch, here they had no excuse: if the Lords track had bounce and turn on the third day, it only magnified Durhams implosion on the first day, when 74 for 0 became 74 for 4 in 17 crushing deliveries.It was a good toss to win but we didnt take advantage of that, Collingwood said. We didnt have the desire to get through hard periods and the desire to score good runs when we had the best of the conditions. The weaknesses of his sides batting are obvious, and will be exacerbated by the departure of Mark Stoneman to Surrey. A good thing, then, that Keaton Jennings has just signed on for another four years: when he thrashed Roland-Jones through the covers, Jennings became the first man this summer to 1000 Championship runs.Even his 45 could only briefly delay Middlesexs waltz to victory. As Lords basked in blissful sunshine, and Middlesexs players headed to the Lords Tavern for a well-earned post-match pint - they have the rare luxury of a 16-day wait until their next fixture in any competition - they could revel in having opened up a hearty gap at the summit of Division One. While onerous fixtures at Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and Old Trafford await, it would be remiss of Middlesex not to dream of lifting the County Championship crown when they next return to Lords, to play Yorkshire on September 20. It would be immodest of me to say no were not, Franklin smiled, a thoroughly contented stand-in skipper who will now hand the reins back to Adam Voges. Theres an opportunity there. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Cheap Joe Carter Jersey . 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After having more trouble than expected in the season opener against Miami University, Iowas defense redeemed itself with a dominating performance against in-state rival Iowa State last week.The 13th-ranked Hawkeyes moved to 2-0 behind a defense that limited the Cyclones to 126 yards on the ground, 291 total yards and three points. The offense also contributed its share in the 42-3 victory that snapped a two-game home losing streak in the annual series.The win over Iowa State certainly was convincing, but strange as it sounds, the Cyclones probably arent at the level of the Hawkeyes FCS opponent this week. Five-time defending national champion North Dakota State visits Iowa City on Saturday (noon, ESPN2) for what promises to be Iowas sternest test on the non-conference schedule.Theyre the best team weve faced thus far, Iowa running back LeShun Daniels said Tuesday.North Dakota State (2-0) has won its last five games against FBS opponents and has an 8-3 record against schools at the top level of college football. The Bison, coached by Iowa native Chris Klieman, have defeated two FCS opponents in overtime to start this season, putting up 50 points against Eastern Washington last week.When we talk about North Dakota State, they take a backseat to no one, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. Theyre accustomed to winning. They know what it takes and theyve got good players who are well coached.Ill go out on a limb and predict this will be a really strong team, a really tough opponent for us.Iowa enters its final non-conference matchup with a 14-game regular-season winning streak and a nine-game home win streak. The Hawkeyes last home loss was at the end of the 2014 season.Quarterback C.J. Beathard has won all nine of his starts in Kinnick Stadium, but Beathard and the Hawkeyes know better than to underestimate the invading Bison. North Dakota State has an astounding 20-0 record in the playoffs the past five years and is expected to bring at least 10,000 fans to 70,585-seat Kinnick.Their fans are going to be pumped, Iowa cornerback Desmond King said. Theyre playing against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Our fans vs. their fans. Thats what its going to be.Klieman grew up a Hawkeyes fan in Waterloo, Iowa, and was Northern Iowas defensive coordinator in 2009 when the Panthers nearly pulled off an upset in Iowa City.dddddddddddd Hes now in his third season as North Dakota States head coach after three years as an assistant.The Bison, who sent quarterback Carson Wentz to the Philadelphia Eagles this year as the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, are prepared for more of a physical challenge than they face in FCS.In the time Ive been here, this is the most complete team the Bison will have faced, Klieman said. They come at you like, We are going to line up and we are going to run right at you and we are going to knock you off the football. Can you hold up? The first two opponents theyve played havent held up.Iowa played well against Iowa State after giving up 424 yards to Miami University in a 45-21 opening win.Beathard passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns against the Cyclones last week and has yet to throw an interception this year. Iowas top two running backs, Daniels and Akrum Wadley, are splitting carries and have combined for 365 of the teams 410 yards and six rushing touchdowns in the first two games.The defensive difference-maker from Week 1 to Week 2 could well have been Josey Jewell. The middle linebacker was ejected early in the first quarter of the opener because of a targeting penalty but came back to lead the team with nine tackles and was all over the field.When hes in there, we play a lot better, Ferentz said. He adds a lot to our tempo, helps us be a little more active out there.The defensive line was missing injured end Parker Hesse, whos expected back this week, but defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson played a key role in the trenches. He had one of his better games with seven tackles and a sack, but he wasnt satisfied because the defensive gave up three points.I prefer it to be none, he said. But you wont ever play a perfect game.Jewell compared North Dakota State to a Big Ten opponent. The Bisons offense, with sophomore Easton Stick taking over at quarterback for Wentz, has displayed balanced in the first two games, rushing for a 255-yard average and passing for 225.5.Were going to have to be ready for smash-mouth football, Jewell said. ' ' '