Stumps Day 2: Worcestershire 195-3 v Middlesex 309
Tom Fell’s excellent unbeaten 75 and a determined 54 from Moeen Ali took Worcestershire to 195 for three in reply to Middlesex’s first innings of 309 on day two of their LV= County Championship Division One match at Uxbridge.
Fell, who earlier helped Moeen to add 60 in 14 overs for the third wicket, was then joined by Alex Gidman in a fourth wicket partnership so far worth 83 in 27 overs. Gidman, on his 34th birthday, hit 30 not out and their efforts finally enabled Worcestershire’s batsmen to get on top of an accurate Middlesex seam attack in which Toby Roland-Jones was particularly impressive.
The 21-year-old Fell did much to increase the scoring rate, after it had crept along at less than two runs an over for the first 30 overs of the innings, and at stumps he had faced 127 balls, hitting 12 fours.
Daryl Mitchell, the Worcestershire captain, laboured for two hours and 87 balls for his 18 at the top of the order and even Moeen, usually the most free-flowing of strokemakers, needed 111 balls for his runs.
Moeen did hit ten fours, however, in his two and a half hour stay at the crease and he was just looking as if he might begin to push on when, in a shock to himself as well as to everyone else on the ground, he chipped James Franklin’s left-arm seam tamely to mid off.
Richard Oliver was the first Worcestershire wicket to fall, although the left-hander clearly did not think much of the decision to send him on his way for 6 to a catch behind off James Harris. Earlier, Joe Leach took three wickets for nine runs in 11 balls as Worcestershire finished off the Middlesex first innings with little fuss after an early lunch.
Medium-pacer Leach, who now has 35 championship wickets this season at an average of 20 runs apiece, took 4 for 81 overall as Middlesex, who resumed on 289 for seven, were bowled out in just over half-an-hour’s play after play finally got under way at 1.10pm.
At 298 Leach sent back Harris and Roland-Jones with successive balls – Harris leg-before for 1 to one which kept low and Roland-Jones caught at first slip.
Tim Murtagh kept out the hat-trick ball and helped Ollie Rayner, who was on 8 overnight, to make sure of a third batting bonus point. Rayner played a number of powerful shots in his 25 before being adjudged lbw to Leach.
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MIDDLESEX v WORCESTERSHIRE - DAY 2 - TEA UPDATE
Joe Leach took three wickets for nine runs in 11 balls as Worcestershire finished off the Middlesex first innings for 309 following a rain-delayed start to the second day of the LV= County Championship Division One game at Uxbridge.
By tea, Worcestershire had replied with 48 for one from 26 overs with Moeen Ali unbeaten on 25 and Daryl Mitchell grinding it out on 14 not out.
In the last over before tea, when Ollie Rayner’s off spin was introduced for a single over, Moeen hit him straight for four and then swung another four over mid wicket from the penultimate ball of the session.
Medium-pacer Leach, who now has 35 championship wickets this season at an average of 20 runs apiece, took 4 for 81 overall as Middlesex, who resumed on 289 for seven, were bowled out in just over half-an-hour’s play after play finally got under way at 1.10pm.
At 298 Leach sent back James Harris and Toby Roland-Jones with successive balls – Harris leg-before for 1 to one which kept low and Roland-Jones caught at first slip.
Tim Murtagh kept out the hat-trick ball and helped Rayner, who was on 8 overnight, to make sure of a third batting bonus point.
Rayner played a number of powerful shots in his 25 before being adjudged lbw to Leach.
Worcestershire then lost opener Richard Oliver for 6, caught at the wicket off Harris in the eighth over, but Moeen was soon into his stride with a couple of offside boundaries while Mitchell dug in at the other end.
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MIDDLESEX V WORCESTERSHIRE – DAY 2 – LUNCH UPDATE
No play was possible at Uxbridge this morning to the frustration of both Middlesex and Worcestershire’s players.
Play in the LV= County Championship Division One game was due to begin at 12.30 following earlier rain, but just as the two teams were about the take the field another shower scudded across the ground and the umpires, Martin Bodenham and Alex Wharf, decided to take an early lunch at 12.30.
With the weather reportedly about to improve, the officials hoped to get the match restarted at 1.10pm, after the lunch interval.
Middlesex were due to resume on day two at 289 for seven in their first innings with Ollie Rayner on 8 and James Harris still to start his innings following the dismissal of James Franklin for 135 to what proved to be the last ball of the opening day.
