Derby peters out into a draw

The Championship game between Middlesex and Surrey at Lord’s has finished as a draw, after the hosts set an unlikely target for victory midway through the afternoon session.

A double century from Chris Rogers allowed Middlesex to go well beyond a reachable score, with us taking 9 points from our 3^rd consecutive draw this season.

Despite Steven Finn going to Jade Dernbach in the first over of the day, Rogers continued from where he left off yesterday, and upped the run rate quite considerably. There was a clear intention from the Australian to try and set up something for the afternoon, as he raced past 150, the 3^rd batsman in 3 matches to get past that score against us this season. Dawid Malan joined in on the action as well, but it was the Middlesex skipper who was showing exactly why he has been selected for the Ashes this year, as he went to a superb double century, his second against us, with the lead racing past 200 also.

Rogers eventually went when Batty bowled him for a superb 214, but the damage had already been done. Malan then gave Tremlett his first wicket of the innings by hitting him to Graeme Smith at mid-on before Stirling was caught for 1 off Tremlett, as Middlesex went to lunch on 424-6, a lead of 252.

Middlesex were determined to not let us have any chance of a chase, as Dexter and Simpson had a net in the middle, taking the lead over 300, and Middlesex’s second innings score past a ridiculous 500. There were thoughts that they would declare with 50 overs remaining, but that wasn’t to be. Burns and Harinath had time to pick up their first FC wickets, that of Dexter and Roland-Jones, before they finally pulled the plug, with 342 required from 48 overs.

That was never going to be attempted, and the task was to make sure that a collapse didn’t occur and allow Middlesex a way in. And despite Burns going early for 17, the batsman did their job, with Smith spending some vital time in the middle, as we closed on 85-1, Smith 48*, Harinath 20*.

3 draws out of 3 is certainly not ideal, and I would have thought that Smith is desperate for his first win at his new club. Without question, it should have come in this game, whether we enforced the follow on or not, we should have won the game after our great work late on Day two, but sadly it wasn’t to be. A lack of ruthlessness hurt us really, which has been a problem in the first two games as well, where we haven’t been able to capitalize on an opening.

Tomorrow we will be looking for our first win, when we play the champions of the CB40, Hampshire, in the newly named YB40. It will be a tough task, because they looked superb against Essex on Friday, and at the time of writing, they look like they will be beating Scotland as well. I expect some changes in the squad, which is yet to be announced, with the likes of Roy, Keedy and Lewis coming in.