Laurie Evans’s 98 was neither pretty nor chanceless and, as someone who has a reputation as a fine hitter in the shorter forms, probably will not live that long in the memory. Yet, in a match where batting has not looked easy, on an undercooked pitch and in conditions that offer bowlers plenty of encouragement, it was just what Warwickshire required.
Indeed, when Middlesex batted after tea, with the ball moving and edges and splices found regularly, Warwickshire’s 342 looked vast. When, at 5.10pm, the players left the field for a second – and final – time for a combination of bad light and rain – not to mention biting wind and unseasonal cold – Middlesex may have been relieved to have lost only Joe Burns, who was very cruelly judged lbw to his third ball from Chris Wright – a delivery that looked to be headed well down the leg side.
With one added to his overnight 44, Jonathan Trott nicked Toby Roland-Jones behind, leaving Evans to anchor Warwickshire’s innings. Middlesex’s seamers regularly beat the bat but perhaps could have forced the batsman to play more often. Accordingly, Evans left with patience and punished on the cut and pull.
Wickets fell inopportunely; Tim Ambrose rode his luck before guiding Neil Dexter to Ollie Rayner at second slip when attempting to clear the cordon, Rikki Clarke was shambolically run out at the bowlers end when dawdling through a second, while Steven Finn dismissed Evans with the second new ball, bowled off the pad as the ball jagged back down the slope.
Evans’s departure could have left the tail exposed but Keith Barker and Jeetan Patel swung with abandon as the final three wickets added 89. Rayner’s spin wasn’t introduced until the 95th over, and four of his first 13 deliveries were driven down the ground for six. Patel was eventually caught down the leg side by John Simpson off the spinner, Barker was castled by Roland-Jones, and the last man, Boyd Rankin, was bowled trying to heave Rayner over the Mound Stand.
“It’s a shame not to get a couple extra,” said Evans. “But I could have been out at any stage, it’s that sort of pitch. 342 is a great effort – we were looking at around 220 to 250 and I can’t see it getting any better to bat on.”
A torrid session awaited Middlesex. Robson smote the second ball through the covers and Burns timed a pull beautifully off his first but as conditions worsened, Robson’s and Compton’s survival became paramount. From here, surely only Warwickshire can win this match; to prevent them doing so, the two recent England openers will need to take a leaf out of Evans’s book.
