John Simpson came in while Middlesex struggled at 91-4
| LV= County Championship Division Two, Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester (Day One) |
| Middlesex 293-8: Simpson 92; 3-54 of Finland |
| Leicestershire: Still to beat |
| Leicestershire 2 points, Middlesex 2 points |
| match scorecard |
Half centuries of John Simpson, Steve Eskinazi and Ryan Higgins combined to give Middlesex what they will consider satisfactory work on opening day as they attempt to earn promotion from Division Two of the County Championship with two games to go.
Middlesex, who started the penultimate round on 188 points – 27 behind leaders Nottinghamshire but 12 ahead of third-placed Glamorgan – ended the day 293-8 with Simpson losing 92 points after Eskinazi had 64 and Higgins 53.
Leicestershire, who put Middlesex in a place that made batting difficult for much of the day, rolled well for the most part as Michael Finan finished 3-54, with Tom Scriven and Callum Parkinson taking two wickets each. However, they paid for a sloppy field, dropping Eskinazi to 11 and Simpson to 29.
Middlesex were down four for 91 at lunch after Leicestershire enjoyed a good morning with the ball – but rebounded to 196-5 at tea.
Finan, the 26-year-old left-arm sailor plucked from National Counties cricket, caught the eye again in his third top-flight game. He started the day by removing both Middlesex openers in an impressive opening spell with new ball.
He discharged Mark Stoneman with his fifth ball, which straightened just enough to bring a successful leg before wicket appeal, and then rolled Sam Robson behind his legs. He would have had a third but wicketkeeper Harry Swindells spilled a chance from the glove offered by Eskinazi.
Another newcomer to Leicestershire’s bowling resources, Scriven, had caught Pieter Malan behind two balls after getting away with a so-so edge that the second slip probably should have claimed.
Skipper and left spinner Parkinson, who heeded some criticism for delaying his introduction against Durham last week, came on after 75 minutes and struck in the final over before lunch when his decision to install a short leg for Max Holden was shaken up , paid off when Sol Budinger won an excellent one-handed catch.
Eskinazi completed a 94-ball half-century just after driving Chris Wright through extra cover for his ninth four. After a cautious start to the session against another Test spell from Finan, a double bowling switch allowed Simpson to gain momentum. A few borders before Scriven were particularly easy on the eyes.
Leicestershire were presented with a gift when Eskinazi threw down his wicket. Presumably trying to create a different angle, he walked down the pitch almost before Scriven reached the crease and fully exposed his stumps. It was the cricket equivalent of an open goal and Scriven converted it gratefully.
It ended a 49-run partnership for the fifth wicket but by tea Simpson and Higgins had added another 56, Simpson was the beneficiary of 29 of another dropped catch, this time in the midwicket ahead of Ed Barnes.
A six from Simpson after Rehan Ahmed’s leg twist just off the tee was followed by the wicketkeeper’s seventh boundary, which went past the extra coverage of Scriven and took him to a half-century with 104 balls, his eighth of the season.
The sixth pair of wickets patiently built up against a decent Leicestershire bowl thereafter, but their partnership was cut short at 99 when Higgins, who had just completed a solid 94-ball half-century with a well-timed clip through midwicket for four, took a step forward turned into a ball from Parkinson who spun just enough to find the edge, Colin Ackermann saved the chance of a slip after dropping the one in the middle of the wicket.
With that, Parkinson held off asking for the new ball and Ahmed justified the decision as Luke Hollman fired an attempted sweep straight at the back square, leaving Middlesex 248-7.
When the new ball came, Simpson seemed to enjoy the return of pace on the racquet, but after moving into the 90s by driving a gift full throw from Finan into the ground for his 10th four, he went for it next ball and lived to regret it, sending up an upper edge that Budinger bagged safely at depth.
The day began with both teams forming an honor guard for referee Nick Cook, who is in his last game on the pitch before retiring at the end of this season at the age of 66. Great goals for Leicestershire as a left-arm spinner and 52 in 15 friendlies.
Report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.
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