Day one roundup: Lancashire make Middlesex toil
Middlesex’s last-gasp campaign to cling on to their Division One place had an apocalyptic start at Old Trafford. With the air as humid as an old dog’s breath, Toby Roland-Jones won the toss, looked to the fretful skies and chose to bat.
As the stats floated about – this being the worst year for Middlesex’s top five since 1894, and the worst year for any top five in the Championship since 1966 – so the heads started to roll. With four Lancashire players at slip, Mark Stoneman prodded at Tom Bailey, gone for a duck. Joe Cracknell drove at Will Williams and lost his bails. Jack Davies gloved a pull after a 33-ball four. Max Holden and John Simpson nicked behind. At 19 for five, it seemed the most catastrophic decision to bat first in Manchester since Kent decided to twist and take on Jimmy Anderson in July 2021.
But here came Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins – the only man to average over 35 for Middlesex this season – rebuilding hopes, brick by brick. Higgins hit the first boundary of the innings in the 20th over and Robson crafted his way to a 150-ball fifty. Robson was still there at stumps, despite rain, bad light and Tom Bailey.
At Canterbury, fellow relegation candidates Kent were flying thanks to a run-a-ball whizz-bang from Zak Crawley. Crawley, dropped on two before cracking four consecutive fours off one Brett Hutton over, slammed 158 from 153 balls.
Matt Salisbury grabbed five for 73 at Hove before Rishi Patel completed a thousand runs to keep Leicestershire in the promotion hunt; Shan Masood made an unbeaten 113 to put Yorkshire on top at Sophia Gardens; Gloucestershire’s Ollie Price made his third first-class hundred. And Olly Hannon-Dalby’s three wickets kept the lid on a determined Northamptonshire.
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Good night!
That’s it for today - with some intriguing stories weaving themselves around this penultimate-minus-one round. Congratulations particularly to Middlesex for lasting the day, Rishi Patel for passing a thousand runs and Zak Crawley for a lucky-to-be-there 158. Thanks for all the messages, we’ll be back tomorrow, good night!
