KIDDERMINSTER

(Day two of four, Worcestershire won toss)

Worcestershire 265 (SC Moore 111, CD Whelan 58, TJ Murtagh 6 for 52) and 122 (BF Smith 52, DP Nannes 6 for 32); Middlesex 321 (AJ Strauss 101, OA Shah 81, GM Andrew 5 for 58, GJ Batty 4 for 84).

Lunch

Andrew Strauss completed only his second century of the season and his first for Middlesex since May last year as he and Owais Shah took their second wicket partnership to 129 in 30 overs on a glorious late summer day at Chester Road.

Strauss appeared to be enjoying his cricket again after a difficult summer as he moved confidently from his overnight 66 to 100 off 124 balls with 17 fours but then he turned Gareth Batty round the corner and Stephen Moore took his second brilliant catch at leg slip.

That was the start of a Middlesex collapse that saw them lose four wickets for 10 runs in six overs. Gareth Andrew had Eoin Morgan caught at second slip and Dawid Malan caught behind and Batty bowled Ben Scott but Owais Shah, who had reached his fifty off 83 balls with two sixes and six fours, was still there at lunch when Middlesex were only 25 behind with five wickets in hand.

Tea

Shah and Shaun Udal stopped the rot by putting on 42 for the sixth wicket but when Shah was caught behind sparring at Andrew after making 81 off 131 balls with two sixes and 10 fours Middlesex wickets began tumbling again.

Andrew claimed Tim Murtagh leg before and held a steepling catch off his own bowling when Udal got a top edge trying to pull to claim the first five-wicket haul of his career.

Batty picked up his fourth wicket when he bowled Dirk Nannes, Dilhara Fernando took his first wicket for Worcestershire by bowling Alan Richardson and, despite Steven Finn’s gallant, unbeaten 26, Middlesex had lost their last nine wickets for 106 in 33 overs.

They still had a lead of 56, however, and Worcestershire, trembling on the brink of promotion, made another poor start when Moore played on to a ball from Richardson that kept low.

Close

Richardson took his second wicket when he had Daryl Mitchell caught behind and should have had Vikram Solanki caught at second slip for his fifth duck in seven championship innings but Eoin Morgan put down the chance.

Not that it mattered. Solanki was soon caught behind slashing at Dirk Nannes at the start of a remarkable spell by the Australian left arm swing bowler that brought him career-best figures of six for 32.

Ben Smith counter-attacked with 52 off 53 balls including 11 fours but when Udal had him caught at slip Worcestershire were doomed to their second defeat of the season. They were all out for 122, leaving Middlesex needing only 67 to win.