Twelve months ago almost to the day Middlesex knocked off a mammoth fourth-innings total with their Australian captain contributing a calm and critical century. Well, they did it again at Taunton on Wednesday.
In 2014 they cracked 472 to beat Yorkshire at Lord’s with Chris Rogers unbeaten on 241. Here the target was not so monumental – a mere 402 – and Adam Voges, who leaves soon to join the Australia Test squad, made 132 of them.
On the evidence of their first two games Somerset may not end the 2015 season as county champions. They have contrived to lose their first two matches at Taunton despite being 223 for two on the first afternoon against Durham a fortnight ago and – rather more spectacularly – 377 for three on the first day of this match.
With the odd exception Somerset did not bowl well on an increasingly benign surface and they were hampered by the absence of Jamie Overton, who was unable to take to the field because of a damaged heel. However there was much to admire in the poise and expertise with which Middlesex navigated their way to victory.
At the start of the day they required a further 371 to win and there were early setbacks. As in the first innings Sam Robson edged to second slip off Lewis Gregory, the one Somerset paceman to cause any concerns. Then, to the same bowler, Nick Compton shouldered arms and lost two of his stumps. It has not been a great game for this pair of recently discarded England openers.
However it has been a good one for a younger Middlesex opener who will surely be scrutinised by whoever has the powers of England selection in the near future. As in the first innings the 21-year-old left-hander Nick Gubbins caught the eye, not only because of his composed defence but also the power of his strokeplay. Twice with little more than a flick of the wrists he hit sixes off perplexed seamers.
Twenty minutes before lunch Gubbins was bowled through the gate by the left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, for a polished 78, and the game was left evenly poised at the interval with Middlesex 148 for three. However the afternoon belonged to Voges and James Franklin, a vastly experienced Antipodean alliance which deftly picked off runs against an increasingly toothless attack. Marcus Trescothick could not lean upon Gregory for too much of the afternoon and Rehman was below his best. Risks were unnecessary since there was a steady supply of wayward deliveries. The boundaries, already small, seemed to shrink.
Voges, who has contrived to peak as a batsman at the age of 35, was pleasingly pragmatic while Franklin stood tall and elegantly drove the ball away. With barely a blemish this pair had added 200 in 56 overs before Voges was finally out, caught behind off Tim Groenewald when playing a rare loose drive against the second new ball.
When he departed 65 runs were required from 16 overs and Middlesex, under the stewardship of Franklin, opted to take the patient route to victory as if determined for no obvious reason to use up every available over. At one point the required rate crept above six per over.
Neil Dexter was especially tentative and offered a sharp chance off the ever-willing Gregory to Alex Barrow behind the stumps. The ball fell to ground. Then Franklin reached his hundred from 210 balls with a majestic cover drive off Rehman.
Soon after Dexter was bowled by Rehman but Franklin remained to shepherd his side over the line with seven balls to spare. This was a remarkable win, one which had looked an impossibility on Sunday afternoon.
