STUMPS DAY THREE: MIDDLESEX 106 & 573-8*; YORKSHIRE 299
Nick Compton made a magnificent 149, Toby Roland-Jones a rollicking maiden hundred and Middlesex totalled a massive 573 for 8 as newly-crowned county champions Yorkshire endured a chastening day in the Lord’s sunshine.
Compton led Middlesex’s continued second innings resistance, which has turned this LV= County Championship Division One match on its head and leaves Yorkshire 380 runs behind going into the final day of what has become a remarkable contest.
James Harris, with an unbeaten 67 from 176 balls, and Roland-Jones, who hit 18 fours and a six in a 122-ball career-best 103 not out, added an unbroken 146 for Middlesex’s ninth wicket – a record for the county against these opponents – to prolong Yorkshire’s discomfort.
Roland-Jones completed his hundred in the day’s last over by hitting Jack Leaning’s occasional off spin for six over mid wicket and then four through the covers from consecutive balls. The 2014 and 2015 champions, unbeaten this season, looked certain of completing a tenth win from 14 matches when they routed Middlesex for 106 on day one – the day that they also clinched this year’s title.
But Yorkshire’s players looked weary indeed after a second successive day in the field as Compton, John Simpson with 47 and the stand between Harris and Roland-Jones completely blunted their attack. Middlesex’s total, moreover, was their highest against Yorkshire for 128 years, eclipsing the 527 they made at Huddersfield in 1887.
Yorkshire even suffered the indignity of being forced to take a third new ball soon after Middlesex, themselves chasing a win to improve their chances of a championship runners-up cheque of almost £250,000, had gone past 500.
Middlesex, resuming on 274 for 5, batted with great determination as Compton converted his overnight 86 not out into a second first-class hundred of the season. The former England batsman faced 261 balls in all, and hit 20 fours in an innings which spanned almost six-and-a-quarter hours and included a stream of fluent drives through extra cover and down the ground.
Simpson, with a dogged 166-ball effort which ended when Adam Lyth’s occasional off spin had him leg-before, helped Compton to add 87 in 33.4 overs for the seventh wicket after the early loss of James Franklin. Franklin’s was the only wicket to fall in the morning session, leg-before to Ryan Sidebottom for 63 in the fifth over of the second new ball.
That was due after just one over at the start of the day and Franklin had added just three runs to his overnight score when he was beaten by a ball that left-armer Sidebottom angled into his pads.
Franklin, though, had played a valuable hand for Middlesex, helping Compton to add 150 in 38.1 overs for the sixth wicket in a partnership which did most to bring Middlesex back into the game following their first innings slide and Yorkshire’s reply of 299.
Then, when Compton was finally beaten by off spinner James Middlebrook’s turn and adjudged lbw with Middlesex’s total on 380, Harris arrived to put on a further 47 in 18 overs with Simpson.
Batting conditions have changed quite markedly since an opening day in which 19 wickets tumbled, with the pitch now flat, but Compton and the Middlesex lower order still deserve great credit for the way they have fought back.
One of the biggest comeback victories of the summer could even be theirs on what promises to be an intriguing final day after this Compton-led transformation.
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TEA DAY THREE: MIDDLESEX 106 & 441-8; YORKSHIRE 299
Nick Compton’s magnificent 149 has given Middlesex a fighting chance of pulling off a notable comeback victory against newly-crowned county champions Yorkshire at Lord’s.
Compton continued to lead Middlesex’s continued second innings resistance which, at tea on day three of their LV= County Championship Division One match, had taken them to 441 for 8 – a lead of 248.
James Harris, with 24 not out from 83 balls, was also batting stubbornly and had Toby Roland-Jones, unbeaten on 14, with him at the interval. Middlesex, resuming on 274 for 5, frustrated Yorkshire’s attack in the NW8 sunshine as Compton converted his overnight 86 not out into a second first-class hundred of the season.
The batsman faced 261 balls in all, and hit 20 fours in an innings which spanned almost six-and-a-quarter hours. John Simpson, with a dogged 47 from 166 balls which ended when Adam Lyth’s occasional off spin had him leg-before, helped Compton to add 87 in 33.4 overs for the seventh wicket after the early loss of James Franklin.
Franklin’s was the only wicket to fall in the morning session, leg-before to Ryan Sidebottom for 63 in the fifth over of the second new ball. That was due after just one over at the start of the day and Franklin had added just three runs to his overnight score when he was beaten by a ball that left-armer Sidebottom angled into his pads.
Franklin, though, had played a valuable hand for Middlesex, helping Compton to add 150 in 38.1 overs for the sixth wicket in a partnership which has brought Middlesex back into the game following their first innings slide to 106 all out and Yorkshire’s reply of 299.
Then, when Compton was finally beaten by off spinner James Middlebrook’s turn and adjudged lbw with Middlesex’s total on 380, Harris arrived to put on a further 47 in 18 overs with Simpson.
Many of Compton’s boundaries were fluent drives, through extra cover and down the ground, underlining how batting conditions have changed quite markedly since an opening day in which 19 wickets tumbled.
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LUNCH DAY THREE: MIDDLESEX 106 & 261-6*; YORKSHIRE 299
Nick Compton reached his second hundred of the season to continue to lead Middlesex’s determined resistance against county champions Yorkshire in the Lord’s sunshine.
At lunch Compton had converted his overnight 86 into a superb unbeaten 144 and Middlesex, who resumed their second innings on 274 for 5, had moved to 361 for 6 – a lead of 168.
The only wicket to fall on the third morning of this LV= County Championship Division One match was that of James Franklin, leg-before to Ryan Sidebottom for 63 in the fifth over of the second new ball.
That was due after just one over at the start of the day and Franklin had added just three runs to his overnight score when he was beaten by a ball from left-armer Sidebottom that angled into his pads.
Franklin, though, had played a valuable hand for Middlesex, helping Compton to add 150 in 38.1 overs for the sixth wicket. It was a partnership that has brought Middlesex back into the game, following their first innings slide to 106 all out and Yorkshire’s reply of 299.
And, at the interval, John Simpson had defended obdurately against Yorkshire’s four-man seam attack to move to 19 not out from 85 balls and add a further unbroken 68 in 25.3 overs with Compton.
Compton, whose century took 178 balls with 13 fours, has batted with serene confidence and application and, at lunch, had faced 248 balls overall in his five-and-a-half hour stay at the crease.
Many of his 19 fours were fluent drives, through extra cover and down the ground, underlining how batting conditions have changed quite markedly since an opening day in which 19 wickets tumbled.
