Foxes fall to defeat in final session of final day

DAY FOUR | Middlesex CCC 324 & 196 v Leicestershire CCC 228 & 171

SCORECARD | Available HERE

POINTS | Middlesex 22, Leicestershire 4

REPORT | Josh Inglis records a maiden first-class half-century for the Running Foxes, whilst Will Davis claims career-best bowling figures in first-class cricket as the Running Foxes fall to a final round defeat.

The final day got underway under glorious sunshine at Merchant Taylors’ School with the Running Foxes looking to make an early breakthrough.

An early breakthrough is exactly what County got after Callum Parkinson claimed the wicket of Nathan Sowter (10) from the third ball of the day.

The batsman looked for the pull but could only top edge the delivery high into the air to the hands of Marcus Harris at mid-on who took the simple catch.

Leicestershire had their early wicket and would be targeting a quick second within the six overs before the new ball arrived.

The final two wickets fell soon after, within three balls of one another as Parkinson brought the Middlesex second innings to a close.

First of the two to go was Ethan Bamber as he drove Parkinson straight to the hands of Ben Mike at cover for 6, looking to play expansively before the arrival of the new ball.

Tim Murtagh came to the crease and lasted just two deliveries before falling in similar fashion to Bamber, as he sent one high into the sky and into the hands of Will Davis at deep midwicket for 0, with Eskinazi finishing the man not out on 66.

Middlesex ended on 196, leading by 292 meaning that the Running Foxes required 293 for the win as Sam Evans and Lewis Hill opened the batting for County.

Thirteen deliveries into the County innings and Middlesex had their early breakthrough, as similarly to the first innings, Sam Evans was the first Leicestershire wicket to fall.

Tim Murtagh was the man to claim the wicket after bowling the Leicestershire opener for 0.

Marcus Harris made his way to the middle with the Foxes' score on 0 for one.

The duo set about quelling any momentum that the Middlesex attack would have been looking for following the early wicket, and soon the runs began to flow.

Harris was the man leading the way with boundaries coming off each bowler, whereas Hill was looking to set himself at the top of the order.

The fifty came up 70 minutes into the innings, and in quite fortunate circumstances as a thick outside edge from Hill flew inches high of Josh de Caires at third slip and over the rope at third man for his second boundary of the morning.

The next over saw a stoppage in play and a change in wicketkeeper for Middlesex after a Murtagh delivery popped up off the edge of Hill and struck Robbie White on the right shoulder.

White could not continue behind the stumps and Joe Cracknell took his place.

The second wicket partnership for County then reached the lunch interval with Leicestershire on 63 for one, led by Harris (41*) who was accompanied by Hill (17*).

It took just two afternoon deliveries for Middlesex to break the second wicket stand as Hill (17) fell to the bowling of James Harris after looping one to de Caires at gully.

Five overs later, and the Running Foxes had lost the key wicket of Harris for 46, as Sowter got one to turn back in clatter into the batsman’s middle and leg stumps.

Josh Inglis emerged to join Ackermann (4*) in the middle with Leicestershire on 72 for three, trailing Middlesex by 220.

The duo just brought up the County 100, after 46 minutes in the middle together before Murtagh broke the fourth wicket partnership.

The wicket to fall was Ackermann (16) who feathered the delivery through to White “ who had returned to the field of play following an injury sustained in the first session “ and Leicestershire sat on 100 for four as Harry Swindells joined Inglis (15*) in the middle.

Just as Swindells looked to be getting set at the crease, following back-to-back boundaries off the bowling of Ethan Bamber, and 39 minutes in the middle, the fifth wicket partnership was broken off the bowling of that man Bamber.

The Foxes man offered the edge that was caught by Joe Cracknell at first slip for 11, and Mike joined Inglis in the middle.

The duo recorded 16 further runs before the final tea break of the contest arrived with Leicestershire heading into the interval on 145 for five, with Inglis on 44 and Mike on five.

The final session of the contest got underway and Inglis and Mike started carefully, getting themselves back in with a ball that was visibly still doing bits and proving difficult to gauge.

Inglis went on to record his maiden first-class half-century for the Running Foxes as he drove Daryl Mitchell away through the covers for his seventh four of the day, coming in 79 balls.

Eight balls later, though, and Inglis’ time at the crease was up as Murtagh found the edge and Smith behind got down well to his right to take the catch.

Inglis went for 52 as Callum Parkinson joined Mike (5*) in the middle.

Murtagh then found himself on a hat-trick ball after bowling Parkinson with a yorker that sent his middle stump flying out of the ground.

Ed Barnes came in with the Foxes on 153 for seven to successfully defend the Middlesex man’s hat-trick delivery.

The remaining three wickets fell quickly though.

First, Barnes (6) was pinned infront from a delivery that looked like it was slipping down leg by Harris who took over from his captain.

Three balls later, Mike’s wicket was up for seven as he feathered a leg-side Mitchell delivery through to Smith who anticipated the nick-off superbly.

Will Davis came to the middle to join Abi Sakande (1*) to form the final partnership of the fixture with Leicestershire sitting on 163 for nine.

The stand lasted 11 deliveries before Middlesex confirmed their second victory of the season, after Sakande (9) fell to the yorker of Harris.

The Running Foxes fell to defeat at Merchant Taylors’ School by 121 runs, confirming their division three status when the LV= County Championship reconvenes upon conclusion of the Royal London Cup and Vitality Blast campaigns.

FIGURES (2nd inns) | Davis 14-6-21-3, Sakande 16-6-38-1, Barnes 14-2-43-1, Mike 13-3-49-1, Parkinson 20.4-10-35-4

Murtagh 15.3-5-36-4, Bamber 14-5-39-1, Harris 13.3-0-50-3, Mitchell 10-3-25-1, Sowter 8-0-15-1

TEAM | Sam Evans, Lewis Hill, Marcus Harris, Colin Ackermann (C), Josh Inglis (wk), Harry Swindells, Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, Ed Barnes, Will Davis, Abi Sakande

MIDDLESEX CCC | Sam Robson, Josh de Caires, Stephen Eskinazi, Max Holden, Daryl Mitchell, Joe Cracknell, Robbie White (wk), Nathan Sowter, James Harris, Ethan Bamber, Tim Murtagh (C)

IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.