Middlesex resumed on Day Two of this match with Derbyshire at Lords on 342 for 7. Both Ryan Higgins and Toby Roland Jones will likely to have slept well having reached their half century and century milestones respectively late on the first day, Higgins on 107 and Roland Jones on 51.
Early overs at Lords with a newish ball, can be a dangerous combination however and it wasn’t long before Roland Jones flicked the lively Dupavillon to Derbyshire captain David Lloyd at midwicket having added just one to his overnight score. Henry Brooks was in no mood to hang about but was struck in front by Chappel for a purposeful 7 off 5 to leave Middlesex 363/9 and someway short of their fourth batting point.
As so often this season though, Ryan Higgins was in a mood to see his 107 as more of a good start than a job done and together with last man Ethan Bamber they set about bringing up the Middlesex 400, a crunching Higgins drive ensuring a 4th batting point for the home side. With nine down, Higgins and Bamber had clearly decided there was little to be gained with watchful defence. Higgins launched a massive 6 over wide long on off Conners and a second soon followed as he tucked into Connors again. A four brought up his 150 and then another 6 provided a final Higgins flourish before he finally fell for 163 and in the aggressive manner of his morning, caught at deep midwicket by Wayne Madsen after a near collision of enthusiastic Derbyshire deep fielders. For Bamber his 21* was further proof that although batting at 11, he can confidently claim ‘no mug with the bat’ status at the very least. After early wickets on Day 1, the home side will have been very happy to have reached 433 and together the Higgins and Bamber partnership had overtaken Middlesex’s record 10th wicket partnership vs Derbyshire of 66 by Holden and Murtagh at Lords in 2018.
Stats as clean as his striking for the excellent Ryan Higgins
Where would Middlesex be without Ryan Higgins? His 163 here brought up exactly 800 runs for his season at an average of precisely 100. Stats as clean as his striking. The Zimbabwean born all-rounder is the current top scorer in Div 2 and 2nd top scorer across both championship divisions, just behind Durham run machine David Bedingham. With four centuries for the season thus far, including a double at Lords against Glamorgan, Higgins‘ second coming with Middlesex is showing exactly what they missed during his five years at Gloucestershire.
There had been little evidence this morning of the testing early lift and movement seen at the start of play on Day 1 and Derbyshire’s opening pair of David Lloyd and Luis Reece progressed nicely, Lloyd with considerably more purpose than his partner. On 21, however, he failed to get on top of a cut off Ethan Bamber and Nathan Fernades took the sharp chance at point. With just minutes to lunch, Derbyshire were in no mood to take further risks and Reece and the newly arrived Brooke Guest added just two more runs to leave Derbyshire 28 for 1 as the players headed to the pavilion.
Roland Jones ensures Guest doesn’t overstay Lords welcome
The afternoon at Lords began under high cloud and although undeniably warm, not the extreme heat we had feared. In short, better conditions for bowling than there might have been and Roland Jones in particular was able to get some lift and movement from the Pavilion End. It was a ball that nipped back and kept just a little low, however, that punctured the defences of Brook Guest who did not outstay his welcome and departed for 18 with Derbyshire on 57 for 2.
From there though, as the sun came out, runs began to flow more freely. A sharp chance evaded du Ploy at 2nd slip off Bamber when Reece was on 39, but generally batting looked comfortable enough for Reece and Madsen as they eased Derbyshire past 100 and onwards to tea. In the process, the ever-dependable Wayne Madsen became only the 11th player to score 14,000 runs for Derbyshire and the first to do it since Kim Barnett 34 years ago. Reece’s 50 came up with a four off Henry Brooks in the 35th over and Madsen looked increasingly assured. Only Hollman’s leg spin and occasional lifters from Brook had given any real cause for Derbyshire concern as they eased to 166 for 2 at tea.
Whatever Henry Brooks had for tea might well be of interest to bowlers everywhere. In the evening’s first over he fired in an unplayable snorter of a ball that a leaping Madsen could only edge behind and to fall just one short of his fifty.
Reece pieces together first Lords hundred
From there on the evening belonged to left hander Luis Reece who confected a tasty hundred with shots to delight Derbyshire’s faithful. It was his 13th in all and a first to grace Lords as it bathed in early evening sunshine.
The visitors did lose Mathew Lamb edging Higgins behind for 30 but Reece remained untroubled with a fluent Aneurin Donald for company. As the evening wore on, Middlesex were starting to look a little ragged, although Luke Hollman will wonder how he didn’t take at least one wicket, his spin and flight beating the bat on a number of occasions without reward.
Derbyshire’s healthy scoring rate, which accelerated noticeably with the arrival of Donald, took them to 308 for 4 at the close, with Reece 123 and Donald 43 looking in very good order. Middlesex with their lead at just 125, will be hoping that a new ball early on Day 3 can help to retain some sort of lead, even if a small one.
