Flaky Middlesex succumb to Tykes attack

Close, day three: Middlesex 175 & 137-4 trail Yorkshire 390 by 78 runs

Middlesex require some last-day batting heroics if they are to avoid defeat at Lord’s after being forced to follow-on amid a clatter of wickets.

Yorkshire – who made 390 in their first innings – bowled the hosts out for just 175, Gareth Berg’s 54 double that of any other batsman.

And after being asked to bat again, Middlesex lost skipper Chris Rogers to the fifth ball of the second innings as the Tykes continued to dominate.

Sam Robson, Joe Denly and Adam London also fell to leave Middlesex 78 runs behind with just six wickets in hand at the close.

They will take inspiration from the fact Sussex managed to rescue a draw at Lord’s from a very similar position last week.

But they will need a much grittier batting display than in the first innings in this match, with only Berg providing any resistance to Yorkshire’s pace attack.

Steven Patterson and former England bowler Liam Plunkett both took four wickets apiece, with Ryan Sidebottom claiming the other two.

The tone was set in the fourth over of the day as Denly was caught while London’s 28 was the best score until Berg’s lower-order hitting.

The all-rounder struck eight fours and shared two partnerships of 28 with James Harris and Tim Murtagh, but could not prevent Middlesex from needing to bat again.

The second innings got off to the worst possible start as Rogers edged behind off Sidebottom’s bowling.

Robson (46) and Denly (31) staged a recovery to take Middlesex to 69-1 – before off-spinner Adil Rashid took three wickets to leave the hosts reeling at 93-4.

Neil Dexter and John Simpson steadied the ship with an unbroken partnership of 44 – and the pair are likely to need to stay at the crease for as long as possible to prevent Yorkshire from winning the match.

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