Middlesex close in on Lord's win as Northamptonshire cling to 97-run lead

Middlesex tighten grip on Division Two clash as Northants fight for survival

Promotion-chasing Northamptonshire remain in trouble at Lord's after Middlesex reduced them to 249-7 in their second innings on day two of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two fixture, leaving the visitors with a slender lead of 97 runs.

Second innings summary

Northamptonshire 103 & 249-7: Zaib 83*; Gohar 3-57
Middlesex 255: Higgins 115; Sanderson 4-68

Northants (3 pts) lead Middlesex (4 pts) by 97 runs.

Half-centuries from Saif Zaib and Ricardo Vasconcelos prolonged Northamptonshire’s dwindling promotion hopes. Zaib, given a life on 25, battled his way to an unbeaten 83 while the division’s leading run-scorer Vasconcelos made 69 to help the visitors reach 249-7 by stumps on a pitch giving some assistance to spin.

Spin and seam change the game

The pitch morphed overnight from a seamer which had yielded 20 wickets on day one to an unresponsive surface save for some slow turn, leading to an attritional morning.

Zafar Gohar exploited the turn to return 3-57. The left-armer dismissed Lewis McManus with one that turned away from the bat to be taken at slip by Tom Helm, then pinned Gus Miller in front with one that went straight on.

Middlesex paceman Tom Helm took two wickets in five balls with the new ball to ensure the hosts were still on top at the close. Calvin Harrison stayed over an hour to help add 51 before being one of two victims in an over for Helm, with Ben Sanderson keeping Zaib company through to stumps.

Key moments

Vasconcelos escaped an lbw shout from Helm on 17 which looked adjacent, and was largely untroubled with two exquisite extra cover drives during a wicketless morning for the hosts.

After lunch Danru Ferns snared Luke Proctor to the second ball following the resumption, though the decision was described as a shocker with the ball striking the Steelers’ skipper on the thigh pad.

Zaib counter-attacked the spin, sweeping his first ball from Gohar for four before clubbing the left-armer over midwicket. Aggression almost cost him when he pulled one from Ferns straight to deep square on 25 only for Ben Geddes to spill the gift.

Ferns gained recompense when he ended Vasconcelos’ vigil with a yorker which trapped him lbw. When Gohar returned after tea to have Sales brilliantly caught at slip by Sam Robson the lead was only 17.

Zaib moved to 50 complete with six fours before dispatching a short one from Toby Roland-Jones with the new ball over the ropes at midwicket.

Whether or not their stout rearguard leads to a win, Northamptonshire appear destined to come up short in their promotion push given Kent are currently well placed to beat Gloucestershire at Canterbury and so secure second place.

ECB Reporters’ Network supported by Rothesay.