Match Centre

MATCH RESULT - MIDDLESEX WIN BY 256 RUNS

Middlesex 384 all out & 342 all out - 23 points

Glamorgan 171 all out & 299 all out - 3 points

Middlesex took 90 minutes to take the final four Glamorgan wickets today and record a crushingdefeat on a Glamorgan team who had not lost a championship game this season. The home county’sdefeat was also the heaviest inflicted on them in terms of runs but they remain second in Division 2 with four games remaining.

Charlie Hemphrey and Graham Wagg stayed for 50 minutes after play resumed to share 62 for the seventh wicket before Hemphrey, who had been at the crease for five and a quarter hours was caught down the legside by the wicketkeeper for 72.

Wagg quickly followed for 40, and Roland Jones claimed his fifth wicket when he removed Lukas Carey’s off stump. Marchant De Lange then struck Tim Murtagh for 24 in an over, and he shared a rapid partnership of 35 for the last wicket before Michael Hogan was out for 22 with De Lange undefeated on 48. Roland Jones ended with 5/68 and ten wickets in the game.

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STUMPS - DAY THREE

Middlesex 384 all out & 342 all out

Glamorgan 171 all out & 171/6

Glamorgan have been set the mammoth target of 556 to win and after losing six wickets in their second innings, are highly unlikely to get anywhere near, with Middlesex becoming the first team to defeat them in the championship this season.

At one stage, Glamorgan were 106 for 1, before their middle order stumbled, yet credit to Charlie Hemphrey who batted resolutely for 66 overs and is unbeaten on 52.

During the morning session Middlesex added a further 153 runs to their overnight score with opener Sam Robson scoring his second century of the season (140 not out) and becoming the first Middlesex player to carry his bat since Nick Compton in 2006. His first century this summer was also made against Glamorgan at Radlett last month.

Glamorgan’s bowlers made early inroads when Rob White was caught behind off Hogan in the second over of the morning then Toby Roland Jones suffered the same fate off Marchant De Lange in the next over, but Tom Helm and Robson avoided any further alarms by adding 68 for the ninth wicket before Helm gave Labuschagne a return catch

Murtagh, although not too happy against De Lange’s thunderbolts and eventually kept away from the seamer by Robson, tucked into some loose bowing at the other end driving Labuchagne’s leg spin for three successive boundaries.

The last wicket pair put on 76 as the lead stretched beyond 500, and with Dawid Malan showing no inclination to declare as Middlesex batted until 1.10 before Murtagh skied to long on.

Middlesex had 162 overs left to dismiss Glamorgan and Helm soon struck when Nick Selman was “strangled” down the leg side, flicking at an innocuous delivery that he could easily have left alone. Hemphrey and Labuschagne then settled against Middlesex’s predominantly seam attack with Nathan Sowter providing the spin option.

Labuschagne, playing his final game for Glamorgan before joining Australia’s squad for the forthcoming practice game against Australia A, has had an outstanding season, and passed 50 for seventh time in the last eight innings before he was trapped leg before by Roland Jones. He was also the first player in the country to exceed 1000 championship runs and will surely return to the club next season availability permitting.

Wickets then fell regularly with another four batsmen adjudged LBW- David Lloyd to Sowter, Billy Root to Roland Jones, Chris Cooke to Murtagh giving the Middlesex seamer his 800^th first class wicket, and Dan Douthwaite who was unlucky to get an unplayable ball that barely got off the ground.

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TEA - DAY THREE

Middlesex 384 all out & 342 all out

Glamorgan 171 all out & 94/1

At tea on the third day of their Specsavers Championship game against Middlesex at Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan were 94 for 1 chasing an improbable target of 556.

Middlesex added a further 153 runs in the morning session before they were all out for 342, with Sam Robinson scoring an unbeaten 140, his second century of the season- the first was also scored against the Welsh county at Radlett last month.

When Glamorgan started their second innings, Nick Selman was caught down the legside by the wicketkeeper to an innocuous delivery from Tom Helm, but from then on there was little to worry the second wicket pair.

At the interval, Marnus Labuschagne was undefeated on 47 and Charlie Hemphrey 34.

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LUNCH - DAY THREE

Middlesex 384 all out & 342 all out

Glamorgan 171 all out

Middlesex added a further 153 this morning and were all out for 342 to leave Glamorgan the improbable task of scoring 556 to win. Resuming on 189 for 5, the visitors lost two wickets in the opening two overs when Rob White edged Marchant De Lange to the wicketkeeper then Toby Roland Jones departed in similar fashion to Michael Hogan.

Tom Lamb stayed with Robson before he was caught and bowled by Marnus Labuschagne while Robson completed his second century of the season- his first was also against the same opposition- from 192 balls.

Nathan Sowter then edged to slip off Charlie Hemphrey’s occasional off spin, but Tim Murtagh, who constantly retreated to square leg when facing De Lange, enjoyed Labuschagne leg spin whom he struck for three successive fours, before he was out for 33. Robson was unbeaten on 140.

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STUMPS - DAY TWO

Middlesex 384 all out & 189/5

Glamorgan 171 all out

Two weeks ago, Middlesex were bottom of Division 2 and Toby Roland Jones had taken only five wickets at an average of almost three figures, but after beating Gloucestershire last week and are currently well placed to defeat Glamorgan over the next two days, Middlesex will be in touching distance of the leaders.

They closed on 189 for 5, a lead of 402, and are likely to bat until shortly before lunch in the third day and leave Glamorgan a mammoth target in the remaining day and a half.

Roland- Jones has played a large part in his team’s resurgence, taking ten wickets in the match last week, four in the first innings here and on a lively Sophia Gardens pitch, will probably add to his tally in Glamorgan’s second innings.

The home team, after their disastrous start the previous evening when they resumed on 25 for 4, made a partial recovery as David Lloyd and Billy Root put on 59 for the fifth wicket, but after Lloyd’s dismissal for 67 and Root for 32, Glamorgan lost their last five wickets for only 28 runs.

Roland Jones started the collapse when he had Root caught at second slip, bowled Chris Cooke with one that kept low and followed up by having Lloyd caught behind and Graham Wagg also held by Dawid Malan in the slip cordon.

Steve Eskinazi was caughtat slip in Lukas Carey’s second over before Nick Gubbins was well caught by Lloyd on the third attempt also at slip, and when Malan was run out by half the length of the pitch followinga poor call by his partner , Middlesex were 49 for 3.-

George Scott made a useful 23 before - for the second time in the game- he shouldered arms and had his off stump removed by Dan Douthwaite. From then Robson and Joh Simpson settled intotheir productive partnership although the pitch was not so bowler friendly as it had been earlier in the game.

The fifth wicket pair both passed fifty, with Simpson particularly strong through the on side but in the final over he drove De Lange to extra cover where Root held on to a low catch.

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TEA - DAY TWO

Middlesex 384 all out & 49/3

Glamorgan 171 all out

Middlesex were well placedon the second day of their championship game against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens. After dismissing the home county for 171 and gaining a lead of 213, Middlesex were49 for 3 at tea, an overall lead of 262.

Glamorgan’s first innings folded quickly after lunch, with their last five wickets falling for just 28 runs. David Lloyd and Billy Root were the only batsmen able to cope with Middlesex’s pace attack with Lloyd top scoring with 67 and Root making 32.

Tom Helm, who took the four wickets that fell in nine overs the previous evening, ended with 5/53, while Toby Roland Jones, after his ten- wicket haul last week took 4/45.

Steve Eskinazi and Nick Gubbins were dismissed cheaply in Middlesex’s second innings, then Dawid Malan was run out in the last over before interval by Graham Wagg.

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LUNCH - DAY TWO

Middlesex 384 all out

Glamorgan 128/5

After their disastrous nine overs the previous evening, Glamorgan recovered in the pre- lunch session on the second day, and at the interval were 128 for 5 after 37 overs.

David Lloyd and Billy Root resumed on 25 for 4, and both were untroubled by the Middlesex pace attack of Tim Murtagh and Tom Helm who had taken the four wickets that fell on the first day.

After Murtagh was rested, Toby Roland Jones, who had taken 10 wickets in the previous game against Gloucestershire had immediate success when Root edged to second slip after scoring 32.

Lloyd struck Murtagh for two fours in an over, who was not as accurate as usual and after conceding 44 from 13 overs was replaced by George Scott.

Shortly afterwards Lloyd reached his 50 from 59 balls with nine fours and at lunch was 54 not out with Chris Cooke on 14.

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STUMPS - DAY ONE

Middlesex 384 all out

Glamorgan 25/4

Dawid Malan, the Middlesex captain, again led from the front as Middlesex recovered from 131 for6 to reach 384 in their first innings. Malan scored 166 of those runs – his fourth championship hundred this summer, his third score over 150 and taking his season’s tally to 933 runs .He was well supported by the tail, with Toby Roland Jones scoring a half century and Nathan Sowter a career best 57 not out batting at No 10.

In reply, Glamorgan were in disarray on 25 for 4 at the close on a day where the seamers obtained plenty of movement from a well grassed Sophia Gardens pitch, but apart from Michael Hogan and Lukas Carey the other Glamorgan bowlers were wayward and failed to take advantage of the conditions.

Tom Helm however wrecked the Glamorgan top order by taking 4/8 from his opening four overs which included the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne, who has scored more than 1000 championship runs this season.

Malan did not exercise his right to field first and might have regretted his decision when Middlesex lost four wickets in the opening session. Sam Robson and Nick Gubbins both edged catches off Lukas Carey who bowled a useful opening spell of 7-1-20-2.

Steve Eskinazi struck 36 in quick time, but Graham Wagg, after an opening over that cost twelve runs, made amends in his second over when his second ball was deflected to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke who took a tumbling catch.

George Scott soon departed, leg before to Michael Hogan playing no stroke, but Malan was confident from the start, and partnered by John Simpson, began his team’s recovery - they put on 58 for the fifth wicket.

Malan, however, should have been out on 43, when, in the first over after lunch Carey found the edge of his bat only to see the ball dropped by David Lloyd at first slip. It proved a costly miss as Malan and Toby Roland Jones shared a 90- run partnership.

Roland Jones was inches away from playing on from his first ball, but then settled to strike some lusty blows and scored 54 from 81 balls including a six and nine fours.

There then followed the best partnership of the innings as Malan found an unlikely ally in Sowter, whose previous best was 37.Playing some unorthodox shots he raced to 50 from only 40 balls, twice carving Marchant De Lange over the short cover boundary for six as the ninth wicket pair put on 103 from just 77 balls.

After scoring 57, Sowter was struck on the hand by Wagg, and immediately left the field but after Tim Murtagh was dismissed he returned to resume his partnership with Malan but did not face another ball as Malan was caught on the boundary for an innings that included three sixes and twenty two fours.

Glamorgan had to face nine overs at the close, but soon lost Nick Selman and night watchman Carey in Helm’s second over, and when Labuschagne and Charlie Hemphrey went in the penultimate over, the follow on figure of 235seemed a long way away.

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TEA - DAY ONE

Middlesex 235/7

Middlesex captain Dawid Malan and Toby Roland Jones, rescued their team after a top order failure to take the visitors to 235/7 at tea. Malan, who should have dismissed in the opening over after lunch when David Lloyd at first slip failed to hold a straightforward chance with the batsman on 43, was unbeaten on 94 with his partner.

LUNCH - DAY ONE

Middlesex 115/4

Middlesex captain Dawid Malan and John Simpson rescued their team after they had lost four early wickets, and at lunch the visitors were 115 for 4, with Malan undefeated on 43 and Simpson 17.

Despite the cloudy overhead conditions and a tinge of green on the pitch, Middlesex opted to bat first, a decision Malan might have regretted when his team had slipped to 65 for 4.

Sam Robson was the first to go when he edged Lukas Carey to Chris Cooke, the Glamorgan captain making his first appearance since injuring an ankle two months ago. Three overs later the Glamorgan seamer struck again when Nick Gubbins was caught at third slip before he was rested with figures of 7-1-20-2.

Steve Eskinazi struck five fours in his 36, but after Graham Wagg had conceded twelve runs from his opening over, the left arm seamer then made amends by having Eskinazi caught by Cooke with the second ball of his second over.

One run later Middlesex lost their fourth wicket when George Scott padded up to an outswinger from Michael Hogan only to see the ball nip back to have him LBW for a single.

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