LORD'S

(day two of four; Gloucestershire won toss)

Middlesex 313-7 (B.A. Godleman 106, D. J. Malan 50, A.J. Strauss 43) v Gloucestershire 218 (D.O. Brown 68, A. Richardson 5-34)

Lunch

No play was possible before noon owing to a prolonged rainfall that began just before the scheduled start. Yet again the new drainage system at Lord’s proved to be highly effective. Middlesex, 106 for one overnight, added 20 runs to their first innings total for the loss of one further wicket in the seven overs that were possible. Ed Joyce was held at first slip by Hamish Marshall off the fast medium of Steve Kirby, not fully to the pitch of the ball. At the other end, Billy Godleman accumulated in his customary dogged fashion, making just five runs in half an hour. A feature of the session was the wicketkeeping of Steve Snell, who stood up to the bowling of his captain, Jon Lewis, as few would have done at any level in the past.

Tea

A further six overs were lost between lunch and tea, a period in which Billy Godleman made his highest score of the season, not without the occasional alarm and unappealing shot in his cramped way, but one which would lead inexorably to a first innings lead for Middlesex. Gloucestershire took just one wicket hereabouts, Eoin Morgan falling to a fine catch by Steve Snell off the bowling of Jon Lewis. The battery of medium pacers was alleviated only by the off spin of Richard Dawson, which appeared rusty at times, but which has been impressive enough of late for Gloucestershire to offer him a two-year contract. Meanwhile, Godleman repelled all forms of bowling, striking 11 fours off 203 balls. His highest score hitherto this season was 87 against Warwickshire in May.

Close

Billy Godleman duly reached his first century of the season off 222 balls with 12 fours, his innings bearing testimony to unfaltering concentration and application. He was finally out for 106, driving at a wide ball from Jon Lewis, the Gloucestershire captain, who finished with five wickets in an innings for the first time since August 8 last year.

Such statistics indicate why these two counties have had a difficult season. Dawid Malan reached a half century off 118 balls before he, like Ben Scott, fell lbw to the persevering Lewis. Middlesex, however, extended their first innings lead through some enterprising hitting from Shaun Udal, supported by Murali Kartik until he was caught behind wafting at David Brown. A total of 23 overs were lost during the day.