LORD'S

(day one of four: Middlesex won toss)

Worcestershire (9-0), are 291 runs behind Middlesex (300 all out)

Lunch

Middlesex had no hesitation in taking first use of a straw coloured pitch on the Tavern side of the square, but soon ran into trouble against persistent, disciplined Worcestershire bowling.

Nick Compton, who had managed a single off 23 balls, went first in the eighth over when he was leg before, propping half forward to Matt Mason.

In the next over, the ninth, Owais Shah played inside a good one from Kabir Ali that held its line to hit off stump. And when Dawid Malan was caught behind chasing a wide one from Kabir, Middlesex had slumped to 19-3 in the 13th over.

The Irish pairing of Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan worked hard to repair the damage, adding 42, before Morgan was caught behind of Gareth Andrew. He had just clipped him off his legs for six into the Tavern Stand when Andrew got one to move up the hill to brush Morgan’s edge.

Tea

Middlesex lost a fifth wicket shortly after lunch when Ed Joyce was run-out by a direct hit from the cover boundary by Stephen Moor. Badly dropped at long leg on 34 by Imran Arif off Kabir Ali on 34, the Irishman finished with 46. Ben Scott played some attractive strokes in his innings of 41 before he was sixth out at 147 when he gloved an attempted pull off Gareth Andrew.

Shaun Udal, batting unusually high at number seven, nevertheless justified his promotion up the order with some well executed attacking strokes in his unbeaten 48. Tim Murtagh contributed an unbeaten 18 as the pair added an unbroken 56 from 82 balls for the seventh wicket, giving Middlesex a glimmer of hope that they could yet reach respectability on an essentially good pitch.

For Worcestershire, Matt Mason continued his pre-lunch parsimony after his niggardly opening spell in the morning. His tea time analysis read 15-7-17-1. Kabir Ali was the best bowler for his side.

Close

Middlesex enjoyed a profitable final session, reaching an unexpected third batting point thanks to Shaun Udal’s highest first-class score for 11 years, 91 from 147 balls. His seventh-wicket partnership with Tim Murtagh eventually realised 105 in 24 overs, the former Surrey all-rounder finishing with 44. He was caught at slip trying to sweep Gareth Batty.

Udal, who struck seven fours and two sixes, was out trying to pull Kabir Ali, top-edging to the wicketkeeper. Kabir mopped up the tale to finish with his second five-wicket haul in successive innings. The last-wicket pair nevertheless eked out the nine runs required to gain the third batting point to the noisy cheers of the Middlesex supporters. Left with five overs to negotiate, Worcestershire’s openers survived without undue alarm ending a satisfactory day for the Midlanders.