Middlesex on brink despite Voges century

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Close, day three: Middlesex 309 & 147-5 trail Warwickshire 486-6 dec by 30 runs

Middlesex face another defeat at bogey ground Uxbridge in spite of a superb 150 from Adam Voges.

The Australian failed to receive much support from the lower order as Warwickshire bowled out the hosts for 309, enabling them to enforce the follow-on.

Middlesex then slipped to 147-5 in their second innings, still 30 runs short of making the Bears bat again, with Voges and nightwatchman Toby Roland-Jones needing to halt the slide.

Should they fail to do so, it will be the 11th first-class match at Uxbridge without victory since they returned to the ground in 2008.

Middlesex resumed on day three on 177-4, with Voges and John Simpson both well set after making half centuries on Tuesday.

They added 31 to the total before Simpson was trapped lbw for 63 while Gareth Berg fell first ball in the next over.

Between the two wickets, Voges brought up his century but then had to watch Ollie Rayner and Roland-Jones go cheaply as Middlesex were reduced to 227-8.

Voges and Ravi Patel (26 not out) put on 72 for the ninth wicket, either side of lunch, with the Aussie moving on to 150 – but his tremendous knock ended with the very next ball he faced as he offered up a return catch to Jeetan Patel.

With a lead of 177, Warwickshire enforced the follow-on knowing that time was not on their side and they were among the wickets again as they claimed openers Dawid Malan and Sam Robson to leave Middlesex on 37-2.

Joe Denly (37) and Neil Dexter (36) responded with a partnership of 68 but just as they both made starts, they were out within a few overs of each other.

Dexter was first to go, caught behind off the bowling of Keith Barker, who later bowled Denly, with the total on 110.

That reunited Voges and Simpson at the crease once more but they weren’t able to replicate the stand of 180 from the first innings, guiding Middlesex to 146-5 before Simpson was caught behind in the penultimate over.

With five wickets in hand, and 30 runs short of avoiding an innings defeat, the home side will need to bat through most of Thursday if they are to escape with a draw

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