Compton steadies Middlesex after more Ball magic
Nottinghamshire 241 & 240: Mullaney 64; Rayner 4-83, Finn 3-57
Middlesex 247 & 48-3: Compton 26*, Malan 11; Ball 3-20
Close, day three: Middlesex trail Nottinghamshire by 186 runs
Middlesex again fell under Jake Ball’s spell as their bid for victory took a hit late on day three at Trent Bridge.
The Nottinghamshire paceman, who took a hat-trick in the visitors’ first innings, removed three of Middlesex’s top four batsmen to drag his side back into the match.
Nick Compton’s unbeaten 26 steadied the ship and he will be crucial to chasing down a target of 235 on what looks likely to be an enthralling last day.
Earlier, Notts were bowled out for 240 as Ollie Rayner’s 4-83 and three more wickets for Steven Finn looked to have wrested ultimate control for Middlesex.
Steven Mullaney was the primary resistance, making 64 as the home side reached 106-1 towards the end of the morning session. But when he was trapped lbw by spinner Rayner, wickets fell regularly.
Left-handers Tom Moores (28) and Michael Lumb (16) both went during the early part of the afternoon, chasing deliveries outside the off stump, Brendan Taylor (17) was pinned lbw by one that may have been sliding down and Chris Read (0) edged behind.
Samit Patel, a centurion in the first innings, worked his way stylishly to 36 before being castled by a Toby Roland-Jones delivery that kept a fraction low.
Brett Hutton helped stretch the lead with a controlled 32 not out but he was left high and dry when Harry Gurney was run out trying to get his partner back on strike.
Middlesex’s chase could not have got off to a worse start. Nick Gubbins, who batted for more than five hours in the first innings, went first ball this time, edging through to wicket-keeper Read.
Ball then removed the other opener Sam Robson, who shouldered arms and lost his off stump, while Dawid Malan followed plumb lbw, setting up a tense finale on Friday.
