The last time Middlesex beat Essex at Lord’s in a County Championship match Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, Wimbledon were about to win the FA Cup and two of the present Middlesex XI - Steven Finn and Billy Godleman - were not born. That 20-year drought should end today despite a bright, unbroken partnership of 81 for Essex’s fifth wicket between Mark Pettini and Ryan ten Doeschate.

Yet a lead of 397 at lunch was not enough for Ed Smith, the Middlesex captain. Middlesex were dismissed 15 minutes after the break for their first total above 500 since the opening match of last season.

Neither batsmen who had been not out overnight could made a hundred. Ben Scott added 14 to his overnight 46 before being trapped leg-before by Danish Kaneria. The Pakistan leg spinner, on his way to a seven-wicket haul, then bowled Eoin Morgan, who tried to reach his hundred with a flourish.

Essex lost three wickets before tea, with Tom Westley and Jason Gallian departing in successive overs when the score was 35, both cutting at balls that bounced higher than expected. Gallian fell to the first ball from Dirk Nannes, who later dismissed Ravi Bopara with the first ball of his second spell, caught behind for 54.

Pettini passed Bopara’s score near the close and was relieved after Nannes, returning for two overs, almost repeated his first-ball trick, but his leg-before appeal was refused.

Scoreboard

Essex: First Innings 161 (T J Murtagh 6 for 44)

Second Innings
T Westley c Scott b Berg 21
J E R Gallian c Scott b Nannes 14
G W Flower lbw b Nannes 0
R S Bopara c Scott b Nannes 54
*M L Pettini not out 63
R N ten Doeschate not out 38
Extras (lb 2, nb 8) 10

Total (4 wkts, 59 overs) 200

Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-35, 3-60, 4-119.

Bowling: T J Murtagh 13-3-37-0; Finn 10-4-23-0; Berg 12-5-39-1; Nannes 11-4-34-3; Udal 12-0-54-0; Shah 1-0-11-0.

Middlesex: First Innings (overnight 442-4)
E J G Morgan b Kaneria 96
†B J M Scott lbw b Kaneria 60
G K Berg c Masters b Kaneria 35
T J Murtagh c Gallian b Kaneria 1
S D Udal not out 31
S T Finn c Flower b Middlebrook 4
D P Nannes b Danish Kaneria 0
Extras (b 12, lb 16, w 7, nb 21) 56

Total (159.5 overs) 583

Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-169, 3-306, 4-356, 5-482, 6-522, 7-530, 8-545, 9-576.

Bowling: Masters 32-8-63-1; Tudor 26-3-101-1; Bopara 17-5-58-0; Ten Doeschate 19-3-79-0; Kaneria 43.5-4-157-7; Middlebrook 18-0-85-1; Gallian 4-0-12-0.

Umpires: N G Cowley and M J Harris.