Ben Duckett finished with 177 to lay the platform for the Green and Golds on day two at Lord’s, before Middlesex’s top-order held firm to leave the hosts trailing by 253 with eight wickets in hand.

The England opener added 58 to his overnight score to equal his second top score for Notts, including a 90-run partnership with Steven Mullaney, before the former became Notts’ ninth wicket to fall with three batting points collected. 

Mark Stoneman then struck a classy unbeaten half-century in testing circumstances, while Lyndon James and Stuart Broad claimed a scalp each, the latter trapping Pieter Malan lbw in the final over of the day to leave the Seaxes 111/2 in response to the visitors’ 358 all out. 

Overnight and morning rain meant no play until 2pm, at which point Duckett and Mullaney were keen to move the game forward against the old ball.

Higgins frustrated those plans with a frugal spell, but Martin Andersson was hit out of the attack by Duckett in three expensive overs from the Nursery End and when he gave way to Luke Hollmann, Steven Mullaney struck the leg-spinner into the Grandstand for a towering six.

Duckett twice drove the new ball back past Toby Roland-Jones for four, but the Middlesex skipper gained recompense, trapping Mullaney in front four short of a half century to end a stand of 90.

Thereafter Duckett reached his 150 with his 15th four, a cover-drive off Roland-Jones.

Bamber bowled impressively and Higgins was rewarded for persistence with wickets in successive balls as first Duckett’s seven-hour vigil came to an end caught at fine leg, before Dane Paterson was bowled to bring the innings to an end.

Stoneman began confidently in reply, hitting Broad through mid-off and mid-on for four. Sam Robson though endured a nervier start, taking 22 balls to get off the mark.

Robson survived a confident lbw shout to Lyndon James’ first ball as the two openers with 18 Test appearances between them raised a 50 stand for the first time this season. 

The Nottinghamshire all-rounder, though, struck back to snare Robson lbw with the very next ball.

South African Malan twice edged between slip and gully and inside edged another past his leg stump before he departed for 26.

Stoneman though forged on, cutting and driving powerfully, before pulling a short ball from James to the mid-wicket rope, to raise his half-century.