Wright claims five-fer as an intriguing final day lies ahead
Sat 29 May 2021
DAY THREE | Middlesex CCC 295 & 218 v Leicestershire 136 & 75 for one
SCORECARD | Available HERE
REPORT | Chris Wright claimed his third five-fer of the season as he led the charge for the Running Foxes on day three to claim the remaining nine Middlesex wickets.
Sam Evans and Marcus Harris set up an intriguing final day of LV= County Championship as County require 303 for the victory with nine wickets in hand.
Day three got off to a delayed start following a slight shower leading up to 11:00am with play starting at 11:10am, as Ed Barnes got the County attack up and running.
Barnes was joined by Chris Wright to form the first bowling attack of the day for County who needed early wickets in the morning.
The first real time County went up was when Barnes looked to have found the edge of Stephen Eskinazi with Harry Swindells catching the feather behind, at the end of the ninth over of the day.
The umpires waived the County protests, though, as Eskinazi continued on 45.
County soon had their reward three overs later following a superb delivery from Wright, who claimed his second of the innings.
His delivery seamed back in and went through the gate to rock Eskinazi’s middle stump for 46, and the Running Foxes had the breakthrough in the morning session.
Middlesex skipper Peter Handscomb came to the middle to join Nick Gubbins (34*), as Leicestershire were looking for a quick second.
Just under three overs later and the Running Foxes had their second of the day as Gubbins (38) thick bottom-edged Ben Mike’s delivery to chop on, leaving Middlesex 102 for three with two new batsmen in the middle.
County soon had their third in what was beginning to look like a solid morning session for the Running Foxes, with Will Davis picking up his first of the innings.
The Leicestershire man nipped one past the outside of edge of Robbie White to rattle the top of his off stump for 10, with Middlesex now on 119 for four as the visitors’ man of the first innings, John Simpson, joined skipper Handscomb (6*) in the middle.
The first session of the day was then brought to an end with the visitors on 125 for four with Handscomb on 7 and the new batsman Simpson on 4.
Fifty afternoon session minutes had passed before County claimed their first wicket of the afternoon, and it took a superb catch from Sam Evans to do so.
Simpson looked to pull Wright away through the leg side but a diving catch high to his left from Evans at mid-wicket saw the Leicestershire man take the smart grab to dismiss Middlesex’s first innings hero for 17.
Wright then followed up four overs later with the wicket of Martin Andersson for four, after pinning the Middlesex man infront.
Ben Mike then quickly followed Wright’s two afternoon wickets with his second of the innings after finding Handscomb’s outside edge as the batsman feathered one through to Harry Swindells for 36.
Middlesex were now 174 for four with the visitors now well into their lower order.
Wright then claimed his third five-fer of the season, coming as he bowled Tom Helm for 1. The figures for the five-fer were 21-6-40-5.
No further wickets were taken in the afternoon session as Luke Hollman (21*) and Ethan Bamber (1*) saw Middlesex through to tea on 204 for eight.
Two quick wickets in six final session overs then brought the Middlesex innings to an end on 218.
Firstly, Callum Parkinson claimed his fourth of the tie as he pinned Middlesex seamer Bamber infront for eight.
Wright then took his sixth of the innings, seventh of the game, as Hollman (26) edged one straight to Ackermann at second slip who took the catch.
With their second innings score of 218, the visitors took a 377-run lead into Leicestershire’s second innings with the best part of four sessions left to play.
Hassan Azad and Sam Evans led County out as they got the response underway, with Ethan Bamber opening the bowling for Middlesex.
The Running Foxes got off to a tough start, losing Azad early on as he was caught by Thilan Walallawita off the bowling of Bamber for 1.
Marcus Harris joined Evans in the middle in the third over, with the opener sitting scoreless at the crease.
The duo dug in to prevent Middlesex building up a head of steam and soon began to chip away at the now 375-run lead the visitors had.
The County fifty came up in the 21st over as Harris whipped Tom Helm away through the leg side for his fifth boundary of the day.
The partnership then carefully picked their shots for the remainder of the day, picking up any loose ones from the Middlesex attack and patiently chipped away at the deficit.
Day three soon came to an end with Harris looking in great touch, finishing the day with boundaries in the closing overs.
County ended the third day on 75 for one with Harris leading the way on 41 and Evans looking smart on 26.
FIGURES (2nd inns) | Wright 23.1-6-48-6, Davis 13-4-30-1, Mike 13-1-42-2, Parkinson 14-2-40-1, Ackermann 4-3-7-0, Barnes 15-2-35-0
Bamber 8-4-16-1, Helm 9-1-15-0, Andersson 8-0-24-0, Walallawita 6-1-13-0, Hollman 1-1-0-0
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.
