Middlesex let Warwickshire off the hook

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Close, day one: Warwickshire 338-6 v Middlesex

An unbroken seventh wicket stand of 133 saw Warwickshire recover from 205-6 to end the first day at Lord’s in a strong position.

Neil Dexter was the star performer with the ball for Middlesex, removing both openers and trapping England batsman Jonathan Trott for 41.

When Tim Murtagh bowled Peter McKay immediately after tea, the hosts would have had high hopes of batting by the end of the day.

But Rikki Clarke (93 not out) and Keith Barker (60 not out) frustrated the Middlesex bowlers, scoring at four an over in a counter-attacking partnership.

Having won the toss and chosen to bowl, Chris Rogers’s side will be disappointed to have let Warwickshire off the hook.

Openers Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood came through a testing first hour after being put in, putting on 61.

Chopra was bowled by Dexter for 25 and the watchful Westwood followed suit before lunch for 24.

Just after the interval, Murtagh had Will Porterfield lbw while Sam Hain fell in the same fashion to James Harris as Middlesex reduced Warwickshire to 122-4.

Trott, rebuilding his career this summer after leaving England’s Ashes tour with a stress-related illness, scored seven boundaries in a typically measured 41 but just as he was getting into his stride, Dexter had him lbw as well.

McKay and Clarke put on 47 but Middlesex struck again immediately after tea through Murtagh, as Warwickshire wobbled.

But Clarke and Barker batted through the rest of the evening session, including surviving the second new ball, to give the scorecard a much healthier look.

Clarke’s 93 not out came from 134 balls and he was given solid support from number eight Barker, whose second half century of the season helped Warwickshire to 338-6 at stumps.

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