Middlesex vs Lancashire, Day 2.
Close: Middlesex 146/1, Lancashire 513.
Middlesex made a spirited response after Division One leaders Lancashire had piled up 513, their biggest total of the season, on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Lord’s.
It included a marathon 191 from Alviro Petersen, but opener Nick Gubbins led the reply with an unbeaten half-century as Middlesex enjoyed a slow pitch holding few terrors for their batsmen.
Gubbins lost Sam Robson after they had posted 50 for the first wicket but Steve Eskinazi, the 22-year-old South African-born right-hander making his first appearance of the season, helped him take the score to 144 for 1 at the close.
If Middlesex are to get close to parity they will need someone to match the patience and resilience displayed by Petersen, who batted for six hours and 48 minutes.
The South African, 105 not out overnight, lost Steven Croft (46) when he mis-judged a sweep at Ollie Rayner’s first ball of the day after they had put on 128 for the fourth wicket. Off-spinner Rayner also had Karl Brown (21) well caught at backward square leg before lunch but Petersen and Liam Livingstone accelerated in the afternoon in a stand of 103 in 18 overs in which Livingstone played the aggressive role.
He struck ten fours in 58 from 68 balls before holing out trying to clear long-off to give Toby Roland-Jones the first of three wickets in eight balls.
Roland-Jones benefitted from a switch to the Nursery End to finally remove Petersen with the delivery after he’d been deposited over mid-wicket for the second six of his innings. Aiming to leg again, he gave the bowler a return catch after 408 minutes at the crease in which he faced 285 balls, hitting ten fours.
In his next over Roland-Jones trapped Jordan Clarke (3) lbw on the front leg to finish with 4 for 122.
Rayner also picked up four wickets after wrapping up the innings when Neil Wagner (14) was taken at deep mid-wicket and Kyle Jarvis (14) at long-off as Lancashire lost their last five for 42 in 41 deliveries.
Wagner and Jarvis went unrewarded despite excellent new-ball spells and it was 19-year-old leg-spinner Parkinson who made the breakthrough with his eighth ball when Sam Robson (21) edged to slip.
Parkinson, fresh from six wickets on debut against Warwickshire last week, showed impressive control but Gubbins grew in confidence and at stumps was unbeaten on 71 with his team still 367 behind.
Tea: Middlesex 27/0, Lancashire 513.
Alviro Petersen made 191 before Division One leaders Lancashire were finally dismissed for 513 on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship game against Middlesex at Lord’s.
The South African’s wicket was one of five to ball in the space of 41 balls, including three in eight deliveries for Toby Roland-Jones.
He sparked Lancashire’s lower-order collapse by having Liam Livingstone caught at long off for 56 after Livingstone added 103 in 18 overs for the sixth wicket with the remorseless Petersen.
Petersen fell the ball after hitting Roland-Jones for his second six, giving the bowler a return catch after batting for 408 minutes and facing 285 balls (10 fours). Roland-Jones finished with 4 for 122 after he trapped Jordan Clarke (3) on the front foot before Ollie Rayner picked up Neil Wagner (14) and Kyle Jarvis (14) on his way to figures of 4 for 120.
In 12 overs before tea Middlesex reached 27 for 0 with Sam Robson on 14 and Nick Gubbins 7.
Off-spinner Ollie Rayner picked up two wickets but first division leaders Lancashire continued to dominate on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Lord’s.
Alviro Petersen scored 53 runs in the session to reach 158 not out at lunch with Lancashire 404 for 5.
Rayner struck with his first ball of the day, ending a stand of 128 in 38 overs by Petersen and Steven Croft when Croft was caught behind off a mis-timed reverse sweep for 46.
James Fuller pulled off an athletic catch at backward square-leg off a full-blooded sweep by Karl Brown (21) after he and Petersen had added 46 for the fifth wicket.
But it was hard going for the Middlesex seamers on a benign pitch with Petersen timing the ball impeccably, particularly through his strong areas on the off side. So far the 35-year-old has faced 255 balls and hit just eight fours while Liam Livingstone struck successive boundaries off James Franklin in the penultimate over before lunch to take Lancashire past 400.
