Middlesex set for last-day survival fight

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Close, day three: Middlesex 214 & 202-4 lead Lancs 302-8 dec by 114 runs
Lancashire 6 pts, Middlesex 3 pts

Middlesex’s survival fight will go down to the last day of the season after they had guaranteed safety ripped from their grasp on a dramatic third day at Old Trafford.

Chris Rogers’ side came within an over of denying Lancashire the bonus points they needed to stay up, only for 40-year-old skipper Glen Chapple to launch a six over mid-wicket and keep his side alive.

They immediately declared, giving themselves as much time as possible to secure the win they need to remain in the top flight and send Middlesex down instead.

But Sam Robson (75) anchored a fine response from the visitors with Eoin Morgan unbeaten on 41 as Middlesex closed 114 ahead with six wickets in hand.

While it is now anybody’s game, for a while on Thursday morning it seemed as though Middlesex were on the verge of securing safety.

Resuming on 259-6, Lancashire knew they had to score 41 runs from the first 14 overs of the day, without losing three wickets, to ensure this absorbing clash would go to the wire.

Tim Murtagh looked to have nudged Middlesex closer to safety when he took two wickets in successive overs, trapping Luke Proctor (42) and Simon Kerrigan (0) lbw.

One more wicket would have earned the visitors an additional bowling bonus point that would have left Lancashire unable to overhaul them.

But number 10 Tom Bailey dug in and, with Chapple, chipped away at the runs until they required seven from the 110th over to reach 300 and the magic extra bonus point.

Chapple launched the first ball for six and then hit three off the next before declaring.

Rogers, who scored two runs from his first 30 balls, was dropped twice and that proved costly for Lancashire as he and Robson put on 78.

The England opener reached 50 midway through the afternoon but shortly afterwards Rogers was bowled by Bailey for 21.

Dawid Malan added a further 40 with Robson until the latter was caught off Kerrigan for 75 and Joe Denly fell cheaply not long before tea, when Middlesex went in at 141-3.

Malan made 39 before he edged to slip off Junaid Khan and the tension was underscored as Neil Dexter took 50 balls to score his first runs.

At the other end, Morgan remained unbeaten on 41 and they will need to bat for as long as they can if Middlesex are to retain their top flight status.

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