Lancashire toil as Middlesex batsmen prosper

Division One leaders Middlesex enjoyed a commanding performance with the bat on the opening day of their trip to Lancashire, as three of their batsmen made half-centuries at Emirates Old Trafford.

Sam Robson (77) and Nick Gubbins shared 127 runs for the opening stand either side of lunch, before Nick Compton (56) and David Malan added 97 runs for the third-wicket to consolidate the platform laid out by the Middlesex openers. 

The visitors reached 258/3 at the close after Gubbins (69) - who scored a double-hundred against Lancashire at Lord's earlier this season - took his season tally to 1,191 runs. Malan then steered Middlesex to stumps in a strong position with 49 not out, as he approaches his sixth fifty of the campaign.

Opting to put Middlesex into bat in overcast conditions, Lancashire enjoyed probing opening spells from Kyle Jarvis (2-54) and Tom Bailey in the first hour of the day without making any breakthroughs. Robson and Gubbins negated a difficult passage in the match, before opening up and entering lunch in a healthy position at 93/0.

Gubbins was the instigator of the increase in tempo, hitting two boundaries through the covers in quick succession off Bailey on his way to an 89-ball fifty. The Middlesex openers shared a fifty-partnership inside 18 overs, before Gubbins went on to achieve his eleventh half-century of the season shortly before the lunch interval.

Lancashire returned after lunch - with England-bound Haseeb Hameed donning his County Cap - but Middlesex continued to thrive. The hundred-partnership came up between Robson and Gubbins just after the break, before bad light briefly halted their progress due to the floodlights not being available, owing to the fact that they hadn't cooled down enough from the morning session.

Robson came back fighting after this disruption in play to reach his seventh half-century of the season in 111 deliveries with eight fours, but both openers fell in a short space of time in a profitable post-lunch spell for Lancashire. Gubbins mistimed a pull shot off Jarvis to Alviro Petersen at mid-wicket, before Robson flashed a drive to Liam Livingstone at slip off Simon Kerrigan (1-63), who signed a two-year deal with Lancashire this morning.

Lancashire continued to cause problems after lunch, with Steven Croft's off-spin nearly forcing Compton to play-on, while Toby Lester encouraged Malan to edge wide of Livingstone at slip. Middlesex secured their first batting point just before tea, entering the interval on 204/2, with England exile Compton becoming the third Middlesex batsman to reach a half-century in the match in the early stages of the evening session.

Compton hit a lofted six down the ground off Kerrigan on his way to a 119-ball fifty, before Jarvis returned with the new ball to earn Lancashire a crucial bowling point in the context of their fight to avoid relegation. Jarvis struck with his third delivery with the new ball, removing Compton's off-stump at 248/3, but bad light curtailed the opening day with six overs remaining.

With Yorkshire being dismissed for 145 by Somerset at Headingley, Middlesex will be hopeful of extending their slender one-point lead ahead of the final round of matches, as they pursue their first Championship title since 1993. Lancashire, meanwhile, are one of four counties involved in a relegation battle, along with Hampshire, Warwickshire and Durham.