Middlesex bowlers punished by Yorkshire

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Close, day three: Yorkshire 253 & 400-5 lead Middlesex 232 by 421 runs

Andrew Gale hit an unbeaten century as Yorkshire scored 371 runs for the loss of just four wickets on day three at Scarborough to bat Middlesex out of the game.

Alex Lees (67) and Kane Williamson (62) put on 132 for the second wicket before both fell in quick succession to Tim Murtagh, raising Middlesex’s hopes.

After Jonny Bairstow’s 32, skipper Gale (126 not out) and Jack Leaning (76) then shared a partnership of 182 to leave Middlesex’s hopes of victory in tatters.

After Leaning was stumped off the bowling of Dawid Malan, the home side closed on 400-5, a lead of 421.

And although Middlesex chased down a record-breaking 472 to beat Yorkshire at Lord’s back in April, they were only requiring 242 going into the final day.

This game was finely balanced overnight, Yorkshire effectively 50-1, but while 15 wickets fell on Sunday, Middlesex couldn’t make the early breakthroughs they required.

Instead, Lees and Williamson batted solidly all morning, both reaching their half centuries as they took the lead to 168 at lunch.

It took a terrific catch at slip from Ollie Rayner soon after the interval to end Williamson’s innings, while Lees also edged into the cordon for Malan to take, both off Murtagh’s bowling.

At that point, the lead stood at 176 and Middlesex knew further wickets would haul them back into the match.

However, Bairstow and Gale had other ideas, adding another 46 before the England man offered up a catch in the deep off Toby Roland-Jones.

Neither the tea break nor the second new ball broke the momentum that Gale and Leaning established.

Both reached landmarks in the same Steven Finn over, Leaning moving to 50 with a single and Gale striking a boundary to pass 100.

Leaning smashed sixes in three successive overs, off Finn, Rayner and Malan, before he was stumped shortly before the close.

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