LORD'S

(day one of four: Middlesex won toss)

Middlesex 10-1. Derbyshire 244 all out

Lunch

Overcast skies and the look of moisture in the pitch persuaded Ed Smith, the Middlesex captain, to put Derbyshire into bat at Lord’s this morning.

It was decision which, two hours later, would not have left him enjoying his lunch very much. Derbyshire, after an opening stand of 87 by the left-handed pair of Chris Rogers and Steve Stubbings, had reached 104 for 1 by the interval.

The ball did swing, mainly for Tim Murtagh in two excellent spells from the Nursery End, but the Middlesex seam attack otherwise struggled to impose themselves. Rogers was 61 not out at lunch.

Vernon Philander, replacing Dirk Nannes from the Pavilion End, had one early shout for lbw against Stubbings in a tidy spell, and the same batsman edged Murtagh through a vacant fourth slip area for four.

There were few alarms overall, though, as the opening partnership flourished and it was something of a surprise when Nannes, back for his second spell, won an appeal for caught behind against Stubbings on 26 – but only after Neil Bainton, the umpire, had thought long and hard about it.

Indeed, the only real discomforts for both openers had been physical; Stubbings was treated for a blow on the hand shortly before his dismissal, minutes after Rogers had needed a back massage from the Derbyshire physio following a violent pull for four off Danny Evans.

Tea

Middlesex were given an immediate boost after lunch when, with the fifth ball of the session, Vernon Philander swung one back into the left-handed Rogers and plucked out his leg stump via what looked like a slight inside edge.

Rogers’s 63, however, had given Derbyshire a decent start and Rikki Clarke, the captain, then joined Dan Birch to take the total on to 135 with some eye-catching strokes.

Almost immediately after stroking a ball from Dan Evans beautifully through extra cover for four, though, Clarke was beaten and bowled for 14 by a searing yorker from the same bowler.

John Sadler did not last long, falling lbw to an inswinger from the deserving Murtagh, but Middlesex’s fightback was held up again as the powerful Birch completed a determined half-century and Freddie Klokker brushed off being cut on the chin by a Murtagh lifter to keep Birch company until tea.

Close

The Derbyshire innings fell away alarmingly after tea, finally justifying Smith’s decision to field first.

Philander removed Freddie Klokker, smartly held low at second slip, and Birch’s gutsy effort, never pretty but highly determined, was ended on 72 by a lovely piece of bowling from Shaun Udal.

The veteran off-spinner set Birch up for an expansive drive with a ball that was tossed up just that little bit more outside off stump. The result was a thin edge to the wicketkeeper and a jubilant Udal.

Graham Wagg was also tempted into a rash lofted drive, which he miscued into the hands of deep mid-off, before Murtagh returned to help to clean up the tail as Derbyshire lost their last six wickets for 46 runs in 20 overs.

There was just time for Derbyshire to dismiss Billy Godleman, however, with the Middlesex opening batsman trapped lbw to Kevin Dean for one as he pushed forward.

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