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Yorkshire v Middlesex: Day three match updates

over 8 years ago | Uncategorised

Day Three Close of play update: Middlesex lost by 4 wickets

Middlesex 212 and 229, Yorkshire 229 and 215-6

In a tense and close race from start to finish, Yorkshire finally crossed the line first to beat Middlesex by four wickets on a nerve-tingling third day of the LV=County Championship match at Headingley.

Chasing 213, they got there with a straight six from Glenn Maxwell after ten balls of the extra half-hour had been used up.

The win moved the County Champions up to second place behind Durham in the table, leaving them level on points with Middlesex who lost their top spot.

With all the time in the world at their disposal, Yorkshire began their victory quest straight after lunch and Adam Lyth and Alex Lees carefully took 27 off the first 15 overs before Lees fell lbw to James Franklin.

Happily for Yorkshire, Gary Ballance found some of the touch that deserted him in the recent Tests, and with Lyth picking up boundaries whenever the opportunity arose the stand moved on to 71 in 19 overs without too much trouble.

But the balance of power shifted again as Ballance was lured out of his crease by Ollie Rayner's off-spin and in the next over from Toby Roland-Jones, Jonny Bairstow was first dropped by Franklin at first slip and then picked up at second by Rayner.

Andrew Gale soothed nerves by getting off the mark by hitting Rayner for consecutive boundaries but the bowler kept Middlesex in the hunt by having Lyth caught behind for 67 from 131 deliveries with 11 sweetly-timed fours.

Now Jack Leaning showed positive intend by driving Rayner for four and six and stroking Roland-Jones to the cover boundary. He had moved to 25 when James Harris had him caught at second slip with 44 still wanted at 169 for five.

Gale's calm momentarily deserted him as he stepped down the pitch to Tim Murtagh and edged into his stumps for a courageous captain's innings of 37 with six fours.

Maxwell was joined by 20-year-old Will Rhodes and the game finally shifted Yorkshire's way as Maxwell at last found the right mix of attack and defence. With only ten required when the extra half hour was claimed the result was a formality.

The game was nicely balanced when Middlesex resumed on the third morning on 127 for four and leading by 110 and an astute piece of captaincy brought an immediate reward for Yorkshire.

Gale opted for the occasional off-spin of Lyth for the first over and after a couple of close lbw shouts his final ball was edged by Dawid Malan to Tim Bresnan at slip.

Franklin, 33 overnight, continued carefully to shape his best innings for some while but he lost John Simpson at 159 when the wicketkeeper-batsman chopped Bresnan into his stumps.

With Steven Patterson more economical than ever, runs had to be chiselled out and only Rayner could keep Franklin company for any length of time. He went softly in the end, however, gently driving Patterson to Ballance at short cover.

It was the 20-year-old Rhodes who finished off Middlesex in a rush as lunch approached. In the space of 14 balls he had Harris lbw and Roland-Jones brilliantly caught at mid-wicket by Ballance before uprooting Murtagh's off-stump, leaving Franklin stranded on 55 from 126 deliveries with five fours.

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Day Three Tea Update: Middlesex 212 and 229, Yorkshire 229 and 91-1

County Champions, Yorkshire, chasing a victory target of 213 over leaders Middlesex at Headingley, had reached 91 for one by tea on the third day.

Middlesex, 127 for four overnight, and leading by a modest 110, lost Dawid Malan in the first over when he edged the occasional off-spin of Adam Lyth to Tim Bresnan at slip.

James Franklin, who had resumed on 26, continued to bat with great determination against tight bowling and he finished unbeaten on 55 from 126 balls with five fours.

But no-one was able to stay with him for too long and the end came quickly as lunch approached with young paceman Will Rhodes polishing off the last three wickets in the space of 14 deliveries. Bresnan, Jack Brooks and Steven Patterson each finished up with two wickets, Patterson's 23 overs giving away only 33 run.

With all the time in the world at their disposal, Yorkshire were in no particular hurry and Lyth and Alex Lees put on 27 in 15 overs before Lees was lbw to Franklin's first ball.

Lyth picked up boundaries at every opportunity and Gary Ballance soon re-discovered some of the form that had deserted him in the Test series in a partnership that reached 50 off 75 balls.

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Day Three Lunch Update: Middlesex 212 and 229, Yorkshire 229

An astute piece of captaincy brought Yorkshire a wicket in the first over on the third morning of their LV=County Championship match against Middlesex at Headingley.

James Franklin continued to bat well in making an unbeaten 55 but young paceman Will Rhodes blasted out the Middlesex tail and the visitors were all out for 229, leaving Yorkshire a victory target of 213.

In a nicely-balanced contest, Middlesex resumed on 127 for four with a modest lead of 110, and Yorkshire skipper, Andrew Gale, surprisingly called upon occasional off-spinner, Adam Lyth, to open the action from the Football Stand end.

Twice in the over he had lbw appeals turned down before Dawid Malan deflected his final ball into the hands of Tim Bresnan at slip to depart for 33.

Franklin, 26 overnight, continued to play his best innings in quite a while but at 159 he lost John Simpson who chopped Bresnan into his stumps.

Yorkshire were unable to make further immediate inroads, however, because Franklin and Ollie Rayner settled into a productive seventh wicket partnership although Rayner was fortunate to get four off the edge when playing Bresnan just wide of the slips.

Franklin worked Rhodes off his legs for four to complete his 50 off 111 balls with five boundaries but with the stand worth 47, Rayner drove Patterson straight to Gary Ballance at short cover and departed for 28.

There was another quick success for Yorkshire as James Harris fell lbw to Rhodes who in his next over had Toby Roland-Jones superbly held at mid-wicket by Ballance throwing himself to his left.

The innings was wrapped up by Rhodes who sent Tim Murtagh's off-stump flying out of the ground, Rhodes' three wickets coming in the space of 14 balls.

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