Harris worry as Middlesex toil amid rain
Close, day one: Yorkshire 215-2 v Middlesex
Middlesex are again sweating on the fitness of bowler James Harris after he suffered a side strain on a rain-affected first day at Lord’s.
Harris bowled just 27 balls in this crucial top-of-the-table clash before pulling up with the injury midway through an over.
The paceman, troubled with a hamstring strain at the start of the season, was fit enough to field but will undergo tests on Wednesday morning to see if he can bowl again.
Yorkshire, joint second with Middlesex in the County Championship Division One table, closed on 215-2 thanks to an unbroken stand of 145 between 20-year-old centurion Alex Lees and Andrew Gale (61 not out).
Several breaks in play due to inclement weather meant that 19 overs were lost from the day.
Having failed to beat leaders Sussex last week, despite dominating large periods of the match, Middlesex came into this match knowing they would face another examination of their title credentials.
Yorkshire chose to bat having won the toss but some frugal Middlesex bowling and an early stoppage for rain prevented them from building any early momentum.
Corey Collymore, who replaced Toby Roland-Jones in the Middlesex line-up, bowled particularly economically, and it took 53 deliveries before the first boundary.
The discipline paid off when Tim Murtagh had Adam Lyth caught at slip by Neil Dexter, to leave Yorkshire on 32-1, and after lunch Gareth Berg removed Phil Jacques for 20.
The afternoon was punctuated by three more rain breaks but Middlesex were unable to break a solid partnership in the overs that were possible.
Lees recorded his maiden 50 after tea and he and Gale took their stand past 100 during a gloomy evening session.
They continued to bat well, guiding Yorkshire past the 200 mark to ensure their first batting point, and Lees brought up his century in the penultimate over, sweeping Ollie Rayner for four.
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