Middlesex lead Derbyshire with a stunning win, A last-wicket partnership of 58 runs between Toby Rowland-Jones and Tim Murtagh to give Derbyshire the fifth-highest run chase in their Purana before the fourth day at Lord’s.
Alex Thomson took 3 wickets for 71 runs :-
The two pacers missed out on acknowledging Middlesex’s 10th-wicket haul against Derbyshire of 66 sets three years earlier, but their effort bowled out the visiting team for 256 with Alex Thomson conceding 71. Took 3 wickets.
Murtagh then removed Lewis Rees as somehow Derbyshire scored 42 for 1 in the previous session due to bad light.
Earlier, Ethan Bamber took Derbyshire’s final first innings wicket and set a career-best 5 for 41 runs.
Sam Connors caught it at mid-wicket, with Bamber needing just five balls to write his landmark.
Middlesex had the worst start, leading 77, with Mark on debut and a pair, shook the first ball of Connors’ innings and lost his off-stump.
This was indicative of a cynical second innings effort by the hosts which seemed to be in too much of a hurry to consistently compose on their advantage.
The Ended with an ugly shot :-
Stephen boundary-sprinkle cameo ended with an ugly shot caught at point and first-innings centurion Robbie White threw it at wide and was caught behind for zero.
Sam Robson was on hold, left well outside the off-stump and drove the bad balls to the boundary on either side of the wicket.
This mix of determination and aggression took him to 50 off 55 balls with nine fours as he shared a half-century with Max Holden for the fourth wicket.
But at 52, Robson, faced with a rush of blood, handed the charge to off-spinner Thomson. Who bowled him from the middle of the gate.
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Holden and Martin each threatened to establish the reigns to fall for 44 and 41 respectively. The second for Anuj Dal with two wickets in seven balls as the Sixes rolled to 198 for 9.
But Murtagh and Rowland-Jones (33 not out) wrestled back under pressure with a mix of good running and aggression.
The 46 balls passed for Tom Wood to score a run :-
Murtagh removed Louis Rees for a duck through John Simpson and scored as Billy Godelman and Tom Wood passed 46 balls as several appeals from injured boxers in need of a bell.
Middlesex were relieved of being forced to bowl spin before the second interruption due to poor light ending. The game 11 overs earlier.
