Match Centre

MATCH REPORT | MIDDLESEX V WORCESTERSHIRE

Match report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.

DAY THREE

Ed Pollock annihilated Middlesex’s bowling attack with a brilliant century as Worcestershire coasted to a resounding seven-wicket LV= Insurance County Championship success at Merchant Taylors’ School.

Pollock was in ruthless mood, slamming 113 from just 77 balls to register his highest first-class score and ensure the visitors chased down what had appeared a tricky fourth-innings target of 238 with ease.

The left-hander’s performance – which included seven sixes and 11 fours – ensured Worcestershire became the first visiting team to taste victory in a red-ball fixture at the Northwood venue.

The result strengthened the Pears’ promotion chances, lifting them to within 11 points of Middlesex, who remain second in Division Two for now despite their first home defeat of the campaign.

Charlie Morris made early inroads in the morning, uprooting Toby Roland-Jones’ off stump before Tom Helm squirted him into the hands of mid-on to leave Middlesex eight down and 185 ahead.

But Umesh Yadav’s pugnacious approach quickly propelled his new side past 200, thrashing Dillon Pennington over long-off for six and handing out the same treatment to Josh Baker when Worcestershire turned to spin.

The India international dominated a partnership of 41 with Luke Hollman, who fell just four short of his second half-century of the match when Baker persuaded him to reverse-sweep and find the point fielder.

Yadav was left unbeaten on 44 from 41 balls when Middlesex’s innings finally came to a close at 240, with Tim Murtagh caught behind swishing at Joe Leach.

If the target appeared awkward, Worcestershire’s openers looked completely unflustered by it, with Roland-Jones’ first two overs disappearing for 22 as Pollock and Jake Libby raced to 50 inside the first seven.

Hollman and Yadav succeeded in stemming the flow of runs before lunch – but the batting side resumed the onslaught after the interval, with Pollock hooking Roland-Jones for six and slamming another boundary in the same over to reach his half-century.

Helm eventually achieved the breakthrough, having Libby (31) caught behind attempting to cut, but the wicket failed to disrupt Pollock’s rhythm and he ruthlessly pulled the first ball of Murtagh’s second spell over the fence.

The opener’s hundred arrived from just 67 deliveries, with Taylor Cornall – who contributed 12 to the second-wicket stand of 82 – required to do little more than stand and applaud his partner’s efforts.

Pollock eventually perished, pulling Yadav down the throat of deep square leg with 71 still needed, but his job was long since done and it was left to Cornall (31 not out) and captain Brett D’Oliveira (33 not out) to steer Worcestershire over the line.

DAY TWO

Luke Hollman’s unbeaten knock of 37 tilted a see-saw contest fractionally in Middlesex’s favour as they built a 177-run advantage against Worcestershire in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Merchant Taylors’ School.

Hollman – who top-scored with 62 in the first innings – shored up the lower order after Dillon Pennington’s three wickets had reduced his side to 139 for six second time around, extending that total by a further 41 at stumps.

It sets up the prospect of an enticing finish on day three after Worcestershire had posted 191 to secure a wafer-thin three-run lead in their first innings, built around Ed Barnard’s undefeated 69.

Toby Roland-Jones, who finished with figures of four for 60, then played a valuable role with the bat, keeping Hollman company at the crease until bad light brought play to a close.

Resuming 88 behind, Worcestershire’s sixth-wicket pair progressed steadily through the opening half-hour and extended the partnership to 71 before a diving catch by Sam Robson in the slips accounted for Gareth Roderick (30).

When Tim Murtagh had Joe Leach caught behind in the next over, the visitors still faced a deficit of 61 – but that was all but wiped out by Josh Baker, who dispatched Murtagh for consecutive cover boundaries and continued to go for his shots.

Baker’s knock of 36 included six fours, with Roland-Jones also taking some punishment before he eventually had his man caught at midwicket by Jack Davies.

Davies darted in to take a far trickier catch and remove Charlie Morris in Roland-Jones’ next over as the seamer quickly mopped up the Worcestershire tail by taking out Pennington’s off stump.

Mark Stoneman restored Middlesex’s lead with the first ball of their second innings, nudging Leach to the boundary but his opening partnership with Sam Robson developed into a gritty one either side of lunch.

Robson cut Barnard for four to lift the stand past 50, but Pennington immediately pegged Middlesex back with a double strike as Stoneman (27) top-edged a hook to long leg and Davies, fending one off to point, departed for a second-ball duck.

Robson (35) eventually fell to a stunning return catch by Leach, flinging himself to his left to pull off a one-handed grab, while Baker removed Max Holden just before tea with a delivery that turned sharply to hit off stump.

John Simpson announced his arrival at the crease by smashing Baker to the fence twice in succession, but the spinner returned after tea to trap Robbie White – who had battled hard for his 37 – leg before.

Pennington prised out Simpson, taken low in the slips for a belligerent 26, before Hollman and Roland-Jones dug in to maintain Middlesex’s hopes of setting their opponents a tricky target in excess of 200.

DAY ONE

Bowlers held sway as wickets tumbled on day one of the LV = Insurance County Championship Division Two clash between Middlesex and Worcestershire at Merchant Taylors School.

Joe Leach (three for 58) and Dillon Pennington two for 41 routed Middlesex’s top order as they were hustled out for 188, Luke Hollman 62 and Tom Helm 50 not out providing belated resistance.

However the hosts too prospered ball in hand, Tim Murtagh returning two for 22 as Worcestershire plummeted to 49-5 in reply before Ed Barnard’s unbeaten 33 left honours even.

Leach and Pennington wasted little time giving Middlesex cause to question their decision to bat on winning the toss.

Sam Robson, a man with three first-class centuries at Merchant Taylors made only three before Leach uprooted his middle stump with a peach of an in-swinger.

Pennington then stepped forward with a well-directed bouncer which Mark Stoneman injudiciously chose to hook and skied the easiest of catches to Leach at mid-wicket.

His demise sparked a collapse as Jack Davies nicked Pennington through to Gareth Roderick and the recalled Robbie White lost his off-stump to almost no shot at all.

The home side then compounded their woes with a runout which wouldn’t have been out of place in a Keystone Cops silent movie. Max Holden played a ball to fine-leg, turned for a second, but neither he or non-striker John Simpson made eye contact and crashed into each other meaning the former was run out.

Leach trapped Simpson LBW soon afterwards and when Toby Roland-Jones drove loosely at Charlie Morris after lunch the hosts were 93-7.

It could have been worse with Helm dropped first ball, but that scare survived he and young all-rounder Hollman provided the first resistance of the day.

Hollman, still only 21, underlined his growing maturity, driving crisply square of the wicket and taking on the short ball. Eight boundaries helped him to a third half-century of the season in 82 balls, while Helm recovered from his sketchy start to hit Josh Baker over mid-wicket for the only six of the day.

Baker struck back to bowl Hollman for 62, ending a stand of 83, but Helm got to his second first-class 50 in 74 balls before Worcestershire mopped up the tail.

With so few runs to defend Middlesex needed early wickets and skipper Murtagh was the man to oblige, having Ed Pollock caught behind before pinning Jake Libby lbw in his next over.

Inspired by his batting Helm then found the edge of Jack Haynes’ bat to give Robson a simple catch, but the opener shelled another from the bowling of debutant Umesh Yadav to reprieve Brett D’ Oliveira on nought.

Yadav quickly banished that memory castling Taylor Cornwall for his first wicket in Middlesex colours, and D’ Oliveira failed to make the most of his reprieve, gloving a viciously lifting ball from Roland-Jones to Hollman in the gully to leave the visitors reeling.

But Barnard and Roderick raised a 50-stand in the day’s dying embers to leave things delicately poised.