Match Centre

DAY THREE - CLOSE OF PLAY

MATCH RESULT - MIDDLESEX WIN BY 18 RUNS

Middlesex 236 & 242 - 20 points

Warwickshire 276 & 184 - 5 points

James Fuller emerged the hero with 3-40 as Middlesex beat Division Two leaders Warwickshire by 18 runs in a thriller at Lord’s.

In just his second Championship of the season, the former Gloucestershire paceman claimed three wickets in two spells after tea, sealing victory with a Yorker which squeezed under the bat of Chris Wright.

It ended a heroic last-wicket stand of 22 between Wright and Ryan Sidebottom, so denying Warwickshire a sixth win of the campaign.

They remain top, but with a lead cut to seven points, while victory for Dawid Malan’s means they hang on to the coat-tails of the leading five.

Middlesex began the day 183-6, just 143 ahead and needing their tail to wag as it had done first innings.

Wicketkeeper John Simpson (33) began positively, striking five boundaries and though he lost Ollie Rayner to a fine slip catch by Jonathan Trott off the bowling of Chris Woakes, for a while the hosts stood firm.

However, Simpson was becalmed and eventually undone by a Jeetan Patel delivery which turned a fraction and bowled him off-stump. It gave the stalwart spinner a return of 5-56 – reward for his wizardry.

Fuller paid for his hesitation when he was run out by Woakes’s throw from mid-on without troubling the scorers and Tim Murtagh was last out, also for nought, bowled by Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

Warwickshire, needing 203 were left with an awkward 15 minutes before lunch, in which time Murtagh struck twice. The warhorse of the home attack first produced a peach off an out-swinger to remove Dominic Sibley caught at slip by Ollie Rayner for nought.

Two balls later came the prize wicket of Ian Bell courtesy of one which went the other way and bowled him through the gate to leave Warwickshire 10-2, their lunch a little less digestible.

On the resumption, Murtagh’s new-ball partner Harris (2-55) took up the quest for wickets, bowling first-innings centurion Will Rhodes with one which kept a fraction low.

Trott remained batting with composure until a brilliant tactical change brought about his downfall. Simpson stood up to the stumps to keep the veteran in his crease whereupon Murtagh produced a full ball to snare him right in front.

Woakes didn’t stay long, pinned LBW by Rayner, meaning Warwickshire were in trouble at 64-5.

But in another twist Sam Hain (37) and Tim Ambrose swung things back towards the men from the midlands with an increasingly assured stand of 44.

Harris ended Hain’s resistance when another LBW shout was upheld, but Ambrose (41), so often the scourge of Middlesex, steered his side to tea without further loss, by which time only 61 were needed.

The hosts needed someone to rid them of the dangerman and Fuller stepped up in the first over after the restart, finding an edge which flew to Rayner’s safe hands at slip.

And when Murtagh (4-54), unusually for him, now bowling from the Pavilion End trapped Patel in front Middlesex were favourites.

Fuller then struck again when Hannon-Dalby nicked through to Simpson with 41 still needed.

Amid unbelievable tension, last pair Wright and Sidebottom inched towards the target in singles.

Thirty-five became 30 and then 20, Wright surviving a shy at the stumps which would have seen him short of his ground.

Balls whistled past the edge too, but just when it seemed Warwickshire might sneak home after all Fuller had the last say.

Match Reports provided by ECB Reporters Network.

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DAY THREE - TEA

Warwickshire 142/6

James Harris’ two wickets kept Middlesex in the hunt for victory over Division Two leaders Warwickshire on the third afternoon of their clash at Lord’s.

Harris (2-46) bowled first innings centurion Will Rhodes with one which kept low, before later switching to the Nursery End to trap Sam Hain (37) ending a stand of 44 with Tim Ambrose.

In between times the hosts had two more LBW decisions upheld, Tim Murtagh (3-39) removing danger-man Jonathan Trott and Ollie Rayner snaring Chris Woakes.

Wicketkeeper Ambrose though remains unbeaten on 41 with the visitors 142-6 needing a further 61 to secure a sixth County Championship win of the campaign.

Earlier Jeetan Patel (5-56) helped bowl out Middlesex for 242 despite stubborn resistance from John Simpson (33).

Match Reports provided by ECB Reporters Network.

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DAY THREE - LUNCH

Middlesex 242 all out

Warwickshire 10/2

Tim Murtagh struck twice in three balls as Division Two leaders Warwickshire made a nervy start in their pursuit of 203 to beat Middlesex at Lord’s.

The Ireland international produced a swing master-class in the opening over of the chase, first finding the outside edge of Dominic Sibley’s bat and inducing an edge to Ollie Rayner at second slip.

Just two balls later, Murtagh brought one back the other way, beating the defensive push of Ian Bell and removing the off bail. Neither batsmen troubled the scorers, leaving The Bears 10-2 at lunch.

Earlier, Jeetan Patel finished with 5-56 as Middlesex lost their last four wickets for 59 runs as they were bowled out for 242.

He completed his fifer by bowling host wicketkeeper John Simpson (33) with one which pitched and straightened.

The home side contributed to their own downfall when first innings top scorer James Fuller was slow to respond to partner James Harris’s call for a single and was run out for nought by Chris Woakes’ throw from mid-on.

Match Reports provided by ECB Reporters Network.

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DAY TWO - CLOSE OF PLAY

Middlesex 183/6

Warwickshire skipper Jeetan Patel bowled his side back into control against Middlesex with a late four-wicket burst on day two of their Specsavers County Championship clash at Lord’s.

Patel, who ended the day with figures of 4-38, initiated a Middlesex middle-order collapse as four wickets went down for 27 runs to leave the home side just 143 ahead at the close.

Middlesex had earlier restricted the Bears to a first-innings lead of just 40 after bowling them out for 276, despite a career-best 118 from opener Will Rhodes.

Stevie Eskinazi’s 73 in Middlesex’s second innings appeared to have earned them parity – but Patel’s efforts ensured that the Division Two leaders will go into the third day as strong favourites.

Resuming 84 behind at 152-4, Warwickshire soon lost night-watchman Chris Wright, who was caught behind off James Harris for 14.

Chris Woakes, making his first red-ball appearance of the season, faced just eight balls before he also fell victim to Harris, attempting to glide one down the leg side.

Tim Murtagh, Ollie Rayner and James Fuller all picked up a wicket apiece, but Rhodes continued to thwart them as he progressed to three figures for the second time this season.

With last man Ryan Sidebottom at the other end, Rhodes adopted a more aggressive approach and hit Harris for four consecutive boundaries, including two paddle shots.

He eventually took another swing at the Middlesex bowler, who managed to hold an awkward top-edged catch to finish with figures of 4-84.

That earned the visitors a 40-run advantage, which still held when they made the breakthrough in Middlesex’s second innings – an almost exact repeat of Paul Stirling’s performance first time around.

The Ireland international began briskly again, hitting 16 all in boundaries before falling to a slip catch – this time providing Woakes with his first wicket of the game.

With Oliver Hannon-Dalby again obtaining plenty of swing from the Nursery End and the sky starting to cloud over, Eskinazi and Nick Gubbins found themselves under pressure.

But the Middlesex pair went for their shots and put together a century partnership that ended when Gubbins (47) was unlucky to be given out lbw to a Patel delivery that appeared to be missing leg stump.

Eskinazi, who reached his third half-century of the season with a boundary off Woakes past third man, seemed well set as he steered the Middlesex total past 150.

However, he was Patel’s second victim, pushing to short leg – and Eoin Morgan, having scratched around for three from 25 balls, became the spinner’s third when he was trapped in front of the stumps.

Middlesex’s situation worsened when Max Holden (8) drove Patel into the hands of mid-off and Hannon-Dalby flattened the wicket of Dawid Malan (28) with the first ball of the next over to leave them 183-6 at the close.

Match Reports provided by ECB Reporters Network.

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DAY TWO - TEA

Warwickshire 276 all out

Middlesex 89/1

An unbroken partnership of 67 between Middlesex pair Nick Gubbins and Stevie Eskinazi wiped out Warwickshire’s advantage on day two at Lord’s.

The Bears were dismissed for 276, a first innings lead of 40 – which they achieved largely thanks to Will Rhodes’ career-best knock of 118.

The left-hander reached his ton shortly after lunch and then struck four successive fours off James Harris before the bowler gained his revenge, taking a tricky return catch to finish with 4-84.

Middlesex were still in arrears when they lost opener Paul Stirling (16), whose second innings exactly mirrored his first – four boundaries before perishing to a slip catch.

That wicket – Chris Woakes’ first of the season in Championship cricket – was Middlesex’s only loss in the afternoon session as they progressed to 89-1, with Gubbins on 33 and Eskinazi 38.

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DAY TWO - LUNCH

Warwickshire 248/8

Will Rhodes advanced towards his second century of the season as Warwickshire edged into a narrow lead on day two of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Middlesex at Lord’s.

The Warwickshire opener remained unbeaten on 93, but fast running out of partners after the home side fought back with four wickets in the morning session.

James Harris removed night-watchman Chris Wright (14) and England all-rounder Chris Woakes (7), who lasted just eight deliveries in his first red-ball outing of the campaign.

Rhodes shared a useful stand of 37 with Jeetan Patel (14) before he was lbw attempting to sweep Ollie Rayner, while Tim Murtagh picked up the wicket of Tim Ambrose (8) as Warwickshire reached 248-8 at lunch, 12 runs ahead.

Match Reports provided by ECB Reporters Network.

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DAY ONE - CLOSE OF PLAY

Warwickshire 152/4

Will Rhodes’ unbeaten half-century gave Division Two leaders Warwickshire the edge on the first day of of their clash with Middlesex at Lord’s.

The Nottingham-born left-hander made the most of being dropped on seven to pass 50 for the fourth time this season in the red-ball game.

His efforts steered the visitors to 152-4 after they had dismissed the hosts for 236.

Warwickshire opted to toss, but were left happy to have lost it after their change bowlers wreaked havoc in the morning session.

The host’s decision to promote Paul Stirling to opener backfired when after four early boundaries the Irish international edged the last ball of Chris Wright’s opening over to Ian Bell at slip.

Nick Gubbins though took heavy toll of some loose new-ball bowling with Chris Woakes, in his first County Championship game of the season, struggling for rhythm as the 50 came up inside 10 overs.

The introduction of the recalled Oliver Hannon-Dalby however induced a dramatic collapse. The 29-year-old found prodigious swing, bowling Gubbins with a Yorker which ripped out his leg-stump.

Stevie Eskinazi edged Wright loosely to slip in the following over and when another boomerang deliver from Hannon-Dalby flattened Eoin Morgan’s off-stump Middlesex were 60-4.

Worse followed when second change Ryan Sidebottom (3-34) found the edge of Dawid Malan’s bat. It would the first of three wickets in 10 balls for the Australian-born quick who had first John Simpson and then James harris caught behind, reducing the Seaxes to 76-7.

Middlesex would have been out of the game altogether but for a counter-attacking stand of 86 either side of lunch by Max Holden and James Fuller.

The latter, two days on from his white-ball six-fer in T20 played belligerently from the off, striking Woakes for a huge six over mid-wicket en route to a 60-ball half-century, his first in the Championship for more than two years.

Holden provided staunch support with some elegant drives, just missing out on a half-century when Jeetan Patel turned one a fraction to trap him LBW for 48.

Oliie Rayner also proved a valuable ally for Fuller in a ninth-wicket stand of 51, before Wright (3-48) returned to have him caught behind by Ambrose for 28.

By the time Fuller missed a full toss from the impressive Hannon-Dalby (3-41) to be last out for 71, Middlesex had at least reached respectability.

Bouyed by their tail having wagged Middlesex began well with the ball, Harris pinning Dominic Sibley LBW for 14 having had an equally vociferous shout turned down the ball before.

Tim Murtagh, who’d probed away in his usual nagging fashion then trapped Ian Bell in front to leave The Bears 29-2.

However, a chance to seize the initiative was missed when Malan dropped Rhodes at third slip off Harris.

Reprieved, Rhodes settled down and he and Jonathan Trott took charge in a stand of 85 and such was their control it was a shock when the former England man fell three short of a deserved half-century sweeping at Rayner.

Sam Hain’s batting struggles continued when he fell to Murtagh becoming the fourth LBW victim of the innings.

However, with Rhodes standing firm Warwickshire hold a narrow advantage heading into day two.

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DAY ONE - TEA

Middlesex 236 all out

James Fuller led a Middlesex fightback on the first afternoon of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash with Warwickshire at Lord’s.

The hard-hitting seamer took the attack to the league leaders, a six and five fours carrying him to first Championship half-century for more than two years as the Lord’s tenants recovered from 76-7 to 236 all out.

He added 86 with Max Holden (48) before the left-hander was pinned LBW by Jeetan Patel and another half-century stand followed as Ollie Rayner (28) provided more invaluable support.

Chris Wright (3-48) returned to have Rayner caught behind by Tim Ambrose, before Fuller was last out for 71, bowled by Oliver Hannon-Dalby after missing a full toss, his dismissal signalling an early tea.

Warwickshire had earlier dominated the morning session with Hannon-Dalby (3-41) and Ryan Sidebottom (3-34) instrumental in the host’s collapse.

Match Reports provided by ECB Reporters Network.

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DAY ONE - LUNCH

Middlesex 103/7

Oliver Hannon-Dalby gave a swing master-class as Division Two leaders Warwickshire dominated hosts Middlesex on the first morning of their County Championship clash at Lord’s.

The 29-year-old seamer produced unplayable Yorkers to shatter the stumps of both Nick Gubbins and England one-day skipper Eoin Morgan, sparking a collapse which saw the Lord’s tenants lose six wickets for 25 runs in just 55 balls.

Second change bowler Ryan Sidebottom was Hannon-Dalby’s cohort, claiming three cheap wickets to leave Middlesex 103-7 at lunch.

The visitors contested the toss but will reflect it was a good one to lose against a home side short of confidence with willow in hand.

Their decision to promote Paul Stirling to opener backfired when after four early boundaries he edged the last ball of Chris Wright’s first over to Ian Bell at slip.

For a while thereafter the bowling was loose with Chris Woakes, in his first County Championship game of the season looking rusty.

Hannon-Dalby’s entrance changed all that, striking in his first over with a full ball which swung from outside off to pluck out leg stump.

Wright capitalized on a poor shot from Stevie Eskinazi before Hannon-Dalby struck again, another Yorker uprooting Morgan’s off pole.

Sidebottom then took over, forcing Malan to feather a catch into the gloves of Tim Ambrose and John Simpson and James Harris soon followed as the seamer claimed three wickets in 10 balls.

Match Reports provided by ECB Reporters Network.