Match report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.
Ethan Bamber’s four wickets led the charge as Middlesex beat Worcestershire by 101 runs to record four consecutive wins in a County Championship season for the first time in 26 years.
The young seamer passed 50 first-class wickets for the season in returning 4-28 as Worcester fell welll short in their quest for 221 despite a battling 42 not out from Gareth Roderick.
Martin Andersson was also among the wickets for the Seaxes with 3-22, all this after Middlesex were bowled out for 247 in their second innings early on the final day, Charlie Morris taking 6-52.
After Tuesday’s washout Middlesex resumed on 233-6 and capitulated quickly. Joe Leach had John Simpson caught at slip without adding to his 59 before Morris took centre-stage trapping Roland-Jones lbw and finding the edge of Luke Hollman’s bat, the youngster distraught at falling four short of a maiden first-class 50. When Tim Murtagh skied one to square leg to give Morris his sixth wicket the hosts had lost four for eight in 20 balls.
Needing 221, the visitors were soon in trouble, Bamber claiming the prize wicket of Jake Libby caught behind for six, the opener still five short of 1000 first-class runs for the season.
It should have been two in two, umpire Neil Bainton turning down a huge lbw appeal against new batsman Roderick despite replays suggesting he was plumb, but compensation came quickly when Daryl Mitchell fenced a wide one from Murtagh to Sam Robson at slip in the next over.
Roland-Jones struck in his first over, bowling Jack Haynes with a beauty between bat and pad which plucked out the off-stump and when Brett D’ Oliveira miscued Roland-Jones to mid-off shortly after lunch the visitors were 51-4.
Roderick though continued to make the most of his early reprieve, passing 5000 first-class runs and with Ed Barnard unfurling a flurry of boundaries runs began to flow.
Skipper Murtagh turned to Andersson in search of a breakthrough and the all-rounder immediately obliged removing Barnard caught behind and three balls later he pinned Ben Cox lbw with one which kept low.
Then it was Bamber’s turn to take two in an over, first yorking skipper Leach before castling Josh Baker, so making sure he couldn’t repeat his first innings heroics.
Andersson splayed the stumps again to send Morris on his way, before fittingly Bamber had last man Dillon Pennington caught behind to seal victory.
Middlesex
Worcestershire
