Middlesex win to send Lancashire down

Middlesex 446 & 305-9 dec beat Lancashire 448 & 194 by 109 runs

Middlesex 22pts, Lancashire 6pts

Hot prospect Ravi Patel and Steven Crook bowled Middlesex to a final-day victory that confirmed Lancashire’s relegation.

Dawid Malan fell five short of a superb century and John Simpson and Toby Roland-Jones added vital extras to form a 303-run lead before Chris Rogers declared.

Patel, who signed a new two-year deal at Lord’s yesterday, took 4-72 while Crook made 5-48 as Lancashire were finished off in 32 devastating overs.

With Surrey also bowling out Nottinghamshire to take a 195-run victory, Lancashire’s place in Division Two next year was confirmed.

Resuming the day 129-2 and just 127 runs ahead after Lancashire had matched Middlesex’s first stand, skipper Rogers went in search of a century with Malan and a partnership that would allow an early declaration.

But he did not get his wish, falling in the 13th over of the morning to Simon Kerrigan on 86 and the partnership ended at 132 runs.

Malan continued to 95, however, after Neil Dexter was dismissed before lunch to take the score to 265 from under 85 overs and Simpson (27) fell without anything added an over later.

But Crook’s 12 and Roland Jones’s unbeaten 18 pushed Middlesex over the 300 they wanted before sending Lancashire back in after tea.

The bowlers still had to take 10 wickets in a single session to win and as Lancashire started resiliently, such a feat did not look on the cards – the away side making 107 for three losses in just 16.1 overs.

But Crook took three more in that very over, with Steven Croft and Gareth Cross gone in back-to-back deliveries before the dismissals of Paul Horton and Kyle Hogg from Crook and Patel made it 134-7 before 20 overs had been bowled.

Crook made Glen Chapple his fifth wicket before Patel wrapped things up with another brace and Lancashire’s fate was sealed.

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook