When Middlesex’s fifth second-innings wicket fell shortly before tea and still 50 runs in arrears amid a collapse, Yorkshire scented a two-day victory. It would have been some way to cap a magical season and a wonderful way for Andrew Gale finally to lift the Championship trophy.
But in Nick Compton and James Franklin Yorkshire met a doughty foe who, in batting a session to share 131, wrestled Middlesex back into this game.
For much of this season Compton has looked a player long on class but short on drive. His England career is almost certainly over and he has never truly looked in form. Yet when he reached 49 here he brought up 1,000 runs for the Division One season and only four others can claim that. While he has achieved that with only a single century – although he closed 15 shy of another – this was his eighth score of 50 or more and on other nine occasions he has passed 28. He has certainly done the dirty work.
Dirty work was exactly what Middlesex required. While Yorkshire spent the first hour of the day, as their final pair shared 78, providing reminders of why they have lost only three of Jason Gillespie’s 61 games in charge, Compton and Franklin spent the final session providing reminders of why Middlesex are their nearest challengers. They remain desperate to finish second after their relegation near-miss last season.
If there is one thing more joyous than watching Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom bowl with the stakes high, as they did on Wednesday, it is watching that pair bat with the stakes low. Their fun ended when Sidebottom popped the ball back to Tim Murtagh – by then in his second spell of the day – with the innings’ equal highest partnership to their names. Brooks registered his maiden 50 for Yorkshire with a series of scintillating offside scythes.
Sam Robson and Paul Stirling made the conditions look equally benign. Stirling thumped his second delivery, from Brooks, into the Grandstand for six, while Robson was even more fluent, lacing the ball at will in front of point and behind.
Yet for the second successive day, Middlesex lost their first three wickets without adding a run. Robson flattered a Bresnan nip-backer before James Middlebrook bowled Stirling through a wildly unlatched gate and then pinned Dawid Malan in front for a sorry pair. Steve Patterson got one to nip back extravagantly to Stevie Eskinazi, then Neil Dexter got a leading edge to give Brooks a sharp, low return catch.
After tea Compton and Franklin were the picture of calm. Compton’s ability to thread the ball through the tightest offside gaps was as impressive as his stout defence, while Franklin nudged, nurdled and ran hard. Yorkshire have plenty to do yet.
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