Voges shines but Middlesex falter at Derby

Close, day two: Middlesex 197-6 trail Derbyshire 385 by 188 runs

Adam Voges hit a patient half century but Middlesex have their backs firmly against the wall after an otherwise indifferent batting performance.

The Australian batted for almost three and a half hours for his 69, while most of the rest of the top order got out after making decent starts.

At one point Middlesex looked in follow-on trouble at 154-6, but John Simpson and Ollie Rayner put on a very useful 43 and remained at the crease at stumps.

Earlier, Tim Groenewald smashed 49 from just 48 balls as Derbyshire’s tail added a further 106 to their overnight score before being bowled out for 385.

That late flourish was particularly frustrating given that Tim Murtagh and James Harris had both taken wickets in the first two overs of the day to reduce the home side to 284-8.

But Groenewald, together with the unbeaten centurion Wayne Madsen, put on 66 for the ninth wicket before he was caught behind off Ollie Rayner.

Madsen then teamed up with number 11 Mark Footitt to add another 35 crucial runs before Toby Roland-Jones ended things.

Sam Robson moved past 1,000 runs for the season early in the Middlesex reply but he and Joe Denly fell to Groenewald either side of lunch to leave the visitors on 25-2.

Voges and Eoin Morgan settled things down with a half century stand but the Irishman became the first of three victims for Matt Higginbotham.

By the time Gareth Berg was bowled by Higginbotham, Middlesex still needed 82 to avoid the follow-on, but Simpson (32 not out) and Rayner (22 not out) remained composed and, crucially, unbeaten going into Thursday’s pivotal third day.

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