Middlesex in trouble on day two at Lord’s

The South African left-hander, who turns 20 next month, hit a bristling 65 from 63 balls and shared an opening partnership of 112 with Jake Libby to re-establish control after Middlesex had effectively secured parity.

Zafar Gohar top-scored on 42 as the Seaxes’ tail wagged robustly to reach 183, just eight runs short of Worcestershire’s total before Lategan, who struck the ball cleanly and with power, provided the Pears’ second innings with impetus.

But, despite Libby’s knock of 79, a clutch of late wickets – four of them for Ryan Higgins – kept Middlesex firmly in contention as Worcestershire closed on 200 for seven – an overall advantage of 208.

The home side resumed in the morning exactly 100 in arrears and under pressure at 91 for six, with the murky overhead conditions offering initial assistance for Olly Hannon-Dalby and Tom Taylor.

They lost Joe Cracknell early, adjudged caught behind to Hannon-Dalby (four for 45) off a thin edge but, as the sun began to emerge, so did a wider array of attacking strokes from Gohar and Sebastian Morgan (25).

Morgan paddled Adam Finch over the infield for four, then his hook from the following ball was fumbled over the boundary at backward square – but the teenager’s luck ran out as he pulled the next to midwicket.

Gohar kept up Middlesex’s momentum, moving within sight of a third half-century for the county only to be undone by a shrewd bowling change as Ethan Brookes tempted him to cut and Gareth Roderick snapped it up low behind the stumps.

It looked as though the Pears might give up a first-innings advantage when Toby Roland-Jones went on the offensive, lifting Taylor into the Mound Stand for the only six of the innings, but he was last out after swinging and missing at Finch (three for 61).

Worcestershire wasted no time in increasing their slender lead, with Morgan’s first over disappearing for 15 as Lategan and Libby went for their shots, raising the 50 partnership at just under a run a ball.

Lategan survived a close call when he edged Higgins’ first delivery low to slip, but exuded energy and confidence as he passed his half-century from 48 balls, following that landmark by driving Gohar over the top for six.

Having switched ends with Naavya Sharma, Higgins was dispatched for successive fours by Lategan but eventually got his man, squeezing one through the left-hander’s defences to hit off stump.

That wicket slowed the Pears’ progress, although Kashif Ali kept Libby company while he advanced to 50 shortly before tea and the pair continued to stretch their advantage in the final session.

Dismissed for a duck first time around, Libby looked assured and appeared on course for his first century of the campaign until he flashed at an outswinger from Higgins and was taken at slip.

But Libby’s was the first of six wickets to fall for just 19 as Sharma gained tangible reward for another fine display with the ball, trapping Adam Hose in front of his stumps before having Kashif (34) caught behind.

Those successes sandwiched the fall of Brett D’Oliveira, bowled by Roland-Jones and Higgins (four for 53) sent both Brookes and Finch on their way before stumps to ensure Middlesex finished the day on a high.

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