Wickets tumble on day two

DAY TWO | Middlesex CCC 295 & 57 for one v Leicestershire 136

SCORECARD | Available HERE

REPORT | Wickets fall on day two as Leicestershire trail after the first innings.

Middlesex claim the Running Foxes ten first innings wickets on day two with Martin Andersson leading the way for the visitors with four to his name.

The order of the day for the Running Foxes was to claim the three remaining wickets, ideally within the morning session, to get out and open their first innings with the bat.

County started off well with the ball conceding just 10 runs from the first five overs, as Will Davis opened from the Bennett End accompanied by Ben Mike from the Pavilion End who bowled his first overs of the day.

It took just 10 Mike deliveries before Leicestershire made the breakthrough they were after, as the County number eight found the edge of Tom Helm which Harry Swindells comfortably caught behind for 17.

Mike then turned one into two soon after, as new batsman Ethan Bamber departed for four after Swindells and Mike linked up once again with a superb catch, low to his right from the wicketkeeper.

Three overs later and the visitors’ first innings was brought to an end after just over an hour’s play on day two, as Wright bowled Walallawita for six, leaving John Simpson the man not out on 95.

Middlesex’s first innings was brought to an end on 295, as Hassan Azad and Sam Evans prepared their response with just under an hour of the first session left the play.

Azad opened the batting for County despite receiving a blow to his left hand that saw him leave the field of play for the rest of the day during the afternoon session.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to make their breakthrough, though, as Azad failed to trouble the scorers before guiding a thick outside edge straight to the hands of Stephen Eskinazi at third slip.

Azad departed as Marcus Harris made his way to the middle with County sat on 2 for one.

Harris didn’t affect the Running Foxes’ first innings though, after being pinned infront by Helm for just three.

Colin Ackermann made his way to the middle to join opener Evans (6*) in the middle, who put on a third wicket partnership of just eight, as the visitors exploded out of the blocks.

The wicket was of the skipper for eight as he edged one through to Sam Robson at second slip who took the catch above his head off the bowling of Helm.

Lewis Hill joined Evans, still 6no, in the middle with just over three overs left until lunch.

The duo did see County through to the interval safely, with Leicestershire on 21 for three, Evans on 6* and Hill on 4*.

Post lunch, County were in need of a useful partnership to help rebuild the first innings in which Middlesex firmly had the upper hand.

The fourth wicket partnership was by far the longest with regards to both balls faced and time spent together as both batsmen began the second session in composed fashion.

Just as both batsmen had seen off the opening stint from Ethan Bamber, his replacement, Martin Andersson claimed his first wicket of the innings.

Evans (15) was the man to go after facing 56 balls in 84 minutes, after Andersson strangled one down leg side with the batsman nicking it through to wicketkeeper Simpson who made a great diving catch to his left.

Andersson then struck again in quick fashion, as Harry Swindells (1) was pinned infront by the Middlesex man.

County were five down with 42 runs to their name as Ben Mike joined Hill (15*) at the crease. Andersson then found himself on a hat-trick ball after pinning Mike infront for nought.

Callum Parkinson “ who claimed the wicket of Andersson yesterday to put himself on a hat-trick ball “ joined Hill in the middle to immediately face.

Parkinson superbly drove Andersson into the offside for a single to immediately get off the mark.

The duo then stood strong in the middle together and laid the foundations of a decent partnership as they attempted to claw the Running Foxes back into this first innings.

The partnership was scoring at a strike rate of exactly 50 after facing 88 balls together. The duo failed to build on the foundations, though, as Lewis Hill’s wicket was soon up.

The Leicestershire-man was bowled by Andersson “ who picked up his fourth of the innings “ for 39 and made way for Chris Wright, who joined Parkinson (20) in the middle with County on 86 for seven.

The eighth wicket saw County through to tea on 108 for seven with Parkinson on 30 and Wright on 12.

It took just under six final session overs for Middlesex to break the partnership of Parkinson and Wright, as Bamber pinned Parkinson infront for 41.

The remaining two wickets then fell within the next three overs as Bamber also pinned Wright infront for 23, and Hollman claiming the final wicket of Ed Barnes for six.

Leicestershire ended their first innings reply to Middlesex’s 295 with a deficit of 159 on 136.

Despite the Running Foxes being eligible for the follow-on, the Middlesex batsman made their way off the pitch to pad up an begin their second innings.

Chris Wright opened the bowling from the Bennett End, accompanied by Will Davis from the Pavilion End.

The duo got off to a positive start with the ball and were rewarded just inside of seven overs as Wright claimed the breakthrough that County would have been keen to claim.

Sam Robson was the man to fall lbw to Wright for six as County looked to make headway into the Middlesex batting line up.

Nick Gubbins came in and replaced Robson, joining Eskinazi (5*) in the middle.

The duo remained at the crease until the end of day two with the Running Foxes failing to capitalise on the early wicket taken by Wright as Middlesex closed the day on 57 for one with Eskinazi on 31* and Gubbins on 20*.

FIGURES (1st inns) | Wright 19-2-69-1, Barnes 17-3-48-2, Davis 25-6-68-2, Parkinson 29-10-76-3, Ackermann 14-8-17-0, Mike 17-5-8-2

Bamber 16-6-36-3, Helm 16-1-49-2, Andersson 11-3-27-4, Walallawita 8-2-22-0, Hollman 4.1-2-2-1

FIGURES (2nd inns) | Wright, Davis, Mike, Parkinson, Ackermann

TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Marcus Harris, Colin Ackermann (C), Lewis Hill, Harry Swindells (wk), Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, Chris Wright, Ed Barnes, Will Davis.

MIDDLESEX CCC | Sam Robson, Stephen Eskinazi, Nick Gubbins, Peter Handscomb (C), Robbie White, John Simpson, Martin Andersson, Luke Hollman, Tom Helm, Ethan Bamber, Thilan Walallawita.

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

MATCH SPONSOR | Thanks to Knight Frank for being our match sponsor.