Surrey bowlers expose Middlesex’s batting frailties
Middlesex 238 (Simpson 60, Holden 55, Abbott 3-37, Overton 3-45, Lawes 3-57) and 272 for 9 (Stoneman 72, Bamber 46*, Abbott 3-60) f/o lead Surrey 433 (Smith 138, Burns 79, Clark 78, Helm 6-110) by 77 runs
Middlesex’s batting frailties had been ruthlessly uncovered by London rivals Surrey because the reigning champions closed in on an enormous win on day three of their LV= Insurance Division One conflict at Lord’s.
Aussie seamer Sean Abbott, Jamie Overton and Tom Lawes claimed three wickets apiece because the hosts crumbled from their in a single day 179 for five to 238 all out of their first innings, John Simpson making 60 and Josh De Caires 30 not out. The newest collapse means they nonetheless have solely two batting bonus factors out of 45 thus far this season.
Following on 195 behind, stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman led the resistance with 72, however others got here and went, earlier than a career-best 46 not out for Ethan Bamber ensured there could be a fourth day.
Nevertheless, Abbott, with 3 for 60, bowled De Caires with what proved the final ball of the day to go away Middlesex 272 for 9, a lead of solely 77, that means Surrey will certainly wrap up a sixth win of the season early tomorrow.
If the house facet had been to avoid wasting the follow-on a lot relied on Simpson persevering with his resistance from day two, however the half-centurion added solely 5 earlier than gloving one from Lawes (3 for 57) down the leg-side to a diving Ben Foakes.
Nightwatchman Bamber was undone by additional bounce from Overton (3 for 45) and looped a catch off the vanguard again to the bowler, who then castled the in-form Ryan Higgins for 3.
The piece of theatre of the morning was offered by Tom Latham, the New Zealander pulling off a reflex seize at slip after Will Jacks within the gully had twice parried an edge from the bat of Tom Helm.
The reality Middlesex clawed their approach to 238 was all the way down to De Caires, who as an opener by commerce can not often have batted with a quantity 11. He struck a six into the Tavern Stand and guarded Tim Murtagh in order that the pair added 38 for the tenth wicket. However, with a valuable batting level tantalisingly inside attain Abbott (3 for 37) returned to uproot Murtagh’s center stump.
As anticipated, the Championship leaders enforced the follow-on and struck second ball when Dan Worrall’s supply beat Pieter Malan’s tentative prod and crashed into the stumps. It was the South African’s fifth duck of a depressing marketing campaign.
Fellow opener Stoneman adopted a extra constructive strategy, hitting 4 successive boundaries off Jordan Clark’s first over because the hosts obtained by to lunch with out additional bleeding.
For some time on the resumption all was nicely with Stoneman persevering with to assault and Sam Robson wanting organised in defence, however shortly after driving Abbott for his solely boundary the latter prodded the identical bowler into the glue-like palms of Latham to finish the stand at 65.
Stoneman’s eighth 4 raised his fifty from 57 balls, just for him to play a shot too many and elevate a Lawes supply into the palms of Overton on the mid-wicket fence.
By that stage Jack Davies had come and gone and when Simpson gave Foakes extra catching observe at 127 for five the prospect of an innings defeat loomed massive, although this ignominy was finally averted.
Cameos by Max Holden and Higgins got here near attaining parity, the previous making his runs regardless of being struck on the jaw by a return from the outfield when he was on seven.
De Caires and Bamber, then additional annoyed the Surrey bowlers with a stand of 64, two sixes, the second assisted by 4 overthrows serving to the latter to his career-best.