Match Centre

MATCH REPORT | MIDDLESEX V SURREY

Match report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.

DAY FOUR

Will Jacks struck a swift unbeaten 45 as Surrey motored to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over neighbours Middlesex inside an hour on the final morning.

The LV= Insurance County Championship front-runners needed only 11.1 overs to chase down a modest target of 78, completing their second derby success of the season and a first red-ball win at Lord’s for 26 years.

With rain forecast for later in the day, Surrey were keen to secure the result as quickly as possible after bowling their hosts out for 272, with seamer Sean Abbott returning figures of four for 60.

Middlesex, who remain second from bottom in Division One, have now lost four of their last five Championship fixtures.

Abbott took only two deliveries to finish off Middlesex’s second innings when play resumed, banging it in short to last man Tim Murtagh, who could only fend it off into the slip area and Dom Sibley took the catch.

That left Ethan Bamber stranded on a career-best 46 not out and Surrey with 78 to score – just five more than the target they chased to complete a nine-wicket victory against their neighbours at the Oval in May.

First-innings centurion Jamie Smith was promoted to begin the chase with Rory Burns, but he lasted just two balls on this occasion before clipping Tom Helm tamely into the hands of midwicket.

Helm picked up a second wicket, his eighth of the match, when Burns attempted a paddle from outside off stump that was neatly taken by Murtagh at long leg, but Jacks maintained momentum by clouting Bamber over the cover boundary.

Tom Latham also struck a maximum off Helm before hitting the winning runs off Mark Stoneman to finish unbeaten on 21.

DAY THREE

Middlesex’s batting frailties were ruthlessly exposed by London rival Surrey as the reigning champions closed in on a big win on day three of their LV= Insurance Division One clash at Lord’s.

Aussie seamer Sean Abbott, Jamie Overton and Tom Lawes claimed three wickets apiece as the hosts crumbled from their overnight 179-5 to 238 all out in their first innings, John Simpson making 60 and Josh De Caires 30 not out. The latest collapse means they still have only two batting bonus points out of 45 so far this season.

Following on 195 behind, stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman led the resistance with 72, but others came and went, before a career-best 46 not out for Ethan Bamber ensured there would be a fourth day.

Nevertheless, Abbott (three for 60) bowled De Caires with what proved the last ball of the day to leave Middlesex 272-9, a lead of only 77, meaning Surrey will surely wrap up a sixth win of the season early tomorrow.

If the home side were to save the follow-on much depended on Simpson continuing his resistance from day two, but the half centurion added only five before gloving one from Lawes (three for 57) down the leg-side to a diving Ben Foakes.

Nightwatchman Bamber was undone by extra bounce from Overton (three for 45) and looped a catch off the leading edge back to the bowler, who then castled the in-form Ryan Higgins for three.

The piece of theatre of the morning was provided by Tom Latham, the New Zealander pulling off a reflex grab at slip after Will Jacks in the gully had twice parried an edge from the bat of Tom Helm.

The fact Middlesex clawed their way to 238 was down to De Caires, who as an opener by trade can rarely have batted with a number 11. He struck a six into the Tavern Stand and protected Tim Murtagh so that the pair added 38 for the 10^th wicket. However, with a precious batting point tantalisingly within reach Abbott (three for 37) returned to uproot Murtagh’s middle stump.

As expected, the championship leaders enforced the follow-on and struck second ball when Dan Worrall’s delivery beat Pieter Malan’s tentative prod and crashed into the stumps. It was the South African’s fifth duck of a miserable campaign.

Fellow opener Stoneman adopted a more positive approach, hitting four successive boundaries off Jordan Clark’s first over as the hosts got through to lunch without further bleeding.

For a while on the resumption all was well with Stoneman continuing to attack and Sam Robson looking organised in defence, but shortly after driving Abbott for his only boundary the latter prodded the same bowler into the glue-like hands of Latham to end the stand at 65.

Stoneman’s eighth four raised his fifty from 57 balls, only for him to play a shot too many and lift a Lawes delivery into the hands of Overton on the mid-wicket fence.

By that stage Jack Davies had come and gone and when Simpson gave Foakes more catching practice at 127-5 the prospect of an innings defeat loomed large, though this ignominy was ultimately avoided

Cameos by Holden and Higgins came close to achieving parity, the former making his runs despite being struck on the jaw by a return from the outfield when he was on seven.

De Caires and Bamber, then further frustrated the Surrey bowlers with a stand of 64, two sixes, the second assisted by four overthrows helping the latter to his career-best.

DAY TWO

John Simpson and Max Holden shared a century stand to give Middlesex hope of saving the follow-on against reigning champions Surrey on day two at Lord’s.

The hosts, with only two batting bonus points all season were in dire straits at 53-4 in response to the visitors’ 433 all out, but former England U19 Holden 55 and redoubtable wicket-keeper Simpson added 116 for the fifth wicket.

Holden fell shortly before the close, but a defiant Simpson will take guard on day three 55 not out with Middlesex 179-5, Sean Abbot taking two of the wickets.

Earlier Surrey passed 400 with day one centurion Jamie Smith finishing on 138 and Jordan Clark 78, Tom Helm completing a career-best 6-110 for the hosts.

Stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman briefly suggested a positive response to Surrey’s substantial first innings total, creaming two early off drives through the covers, but it proved a false dawn as with only 11 against his name he feathered a good one from Clark through to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

It would be the ‘Brown Hats’ only success for some while, but a combination of tight seam bowling and a lack of intent from Pieter Malan and Sam Robson – the latter for some reason batting at three – meant the hosts crawled along at two runs per over.

Perhaps that explains the rash cross-bat swish by South African Malan to an innocuous ball from Jamie Overton which took the under-edge, giving Foakes a second comfortable catch.

As too often this season, the departure of one Middlesex batter led to three falling for the addition of 10 runs in 39 balls.

Robson, a centurion last week at Merchant Taylors’ was undone by one from Sean Abbott which came back into him up the slope and went off the inside edge onto the stumps via the thigh pad.

A torturous period of the afternoon for the hosts concluded with Jack Davies, in the side for the injured Stephen Eskinazi, taking 18 balls to get off the mark only to then fence at one from Tom Lawes, sending it into the hands of Dom Sibley at slip.

The bell summoning the players back after tea sounded like a death knell for the beleaguered home side, but to their credit Holden and Simpson showed some intestinal fortitude.

Holden, displayed some of the T20 form which earned a wildcard pick from the Manchester Originals for the upcoming Hundred, driving well off front and back foot, while Simpson played one delightful cut and acquired an all run four courtesy of an overthrow.

Overton tried some chin music ala England, but Holden’s sixth four through third man took him to his second championship half century of the season from 93 balls before Simpson too found the fence to raise the century stand.

Simpson’s own half century came in the grand manner with a six into the Mound Stand, but just as it looked as if Middlesex would reach the sanctity of stumps without further loss, Abbott found the edge of Holden’s bat and a diving Sibley did the rest.

Earlier, Surrey resumed on 312-5, and save for a six over square leg by Clark off Ryan Higgins, made steady, unspectacular progress before first day century maker Smith was castled by Helm from one which came back through the gate.

Clark eased his way to a 91-ball 50 though he was later unsettled, not to say frustrated by Ethan Bamber beating him outside the off stump with five successive deliveries. The young seamer, who had somehow gone wicketless on day one finally got reward when Abbott hoisted him into the hands of Malan at deep square.

Clark’s fine effort ended when Tim Murtagh got one to bounce and take the edge which flew to Robson at slip and while a few lusty blows from Overton delayed the lunch interval, Helm cleaned up the tail for his first ever six-for in championship cricket.

DAY ONE

Jamie Smith registered his second century of the season to give LV= Insurance County Championship leaders Surrey the edge on the opening day of their London derby against Middlesex at Lord’s.

The 23-year-old produced an accomplished knock to finish unbeaten on 120, while captain Rory Burns hit 79 as Surrey – seeking their first red-ball victory in north London since 1997 – posted 312 for five after being put in to bat.

Ethan Bamber was the pick of the Middlesex bowlers, somehow completing the day wicketless despite a relentlessly consistent effort as he sent down 22 overs that cost only 40.

Fellow seamers Tom Helm and Ryan Higgins gained more tangible reward for their labours with the ball, returning figures of three for 86 and two for 70 respectively.

With Middlesex resting captain Toby Roland-Jones, the reins were handed to former Surrey batter Mark Stoneman – who succeeded in his first task by winning the toss and opting to bowl in overcast conditions.

Higgins, who opened with an eight-over stint, struck early by pinning Dom Sibley in front of his stumps and almost followed it up with the wicket of Tom Latham when he had yet to get off the mark.

The New Zealander’s sharp edge flew towards second slip, but the diving Sam Robson was unable to cling on and Latham took advantage as he and Burns settled down to construct a steady partnership of 94.

Bamber beat the bat on several occasions without success before making way for Helm, who offered up a couple of full deliveries that Burns gratefully dispatched to the short leg-side boundary.

The Surrey skipper went to lunch on 45 and duly advanced to his first half-century in 10 innings – since an innings of 88 against Middlesex at the Oval in May – by clipping Higgins off his pads to the fence.

A change of ends for Helm paid dividends as he rocked Latham almost off his feet, stooping to dig out a venomous yorker and then dismissed him for 38, tempting him into a top-edged hook that sailed into the hands of long leg.

Having taken some time to get off the mark, Smith gradually found his rhythm, clouting Tim Murtagh for successive cover boundaries as he began to dominate the third-wicket stand of 57.

Burns, having survived a slash through the slips off Higgins, advanced down the track in his next over and could only steer the ball to gully, where Holden sprang to his right to snap up the catch.

There was a close call just after tea for Smith, who was one short of a half-century when Ben Foakes sent him back attempting to steal a single, but he regained his focus to pass 50 for the fourth time this summer.

Foakes departed for 20, flicking Helm to square leg and Will Jacks soon became the seamer’s third victim, caught behind after stepping away to leg and aiming an untidy cut at a short delivery.

Smith might have followed on 94, edging Murtagh towards gully – but this time the chance eluded Holden and the Surrey man advanced to three figures from 137 balls, bisecting the leg-side field for a carefully placed two.

Jordan Clark kept Smith company until stumps, chopping Higgins to the point boundary to bring up his side’s second batting bonus point as he progressed to 34 not out.