MacGill puts Notts on verge of victory
By Ananova
August 15 2002
Division Two leaders Middlesex are facing their first defeat of the season in the Frizzell County Championship against Nottinghamshire.
| Stuart MacGill took six for 54 as the visitors were dismissed for 138 in reply to Nottinghamshire's 470. He then took two more as Middlesex, forced to follow on, closed the second day on 180 for three, still 152 runs short of making Notts bat again. At the start of the day Kevin Pietersen resumed on 232 and added 22 more runs to post the highest score at the ground since the Second World War before he ran out of partners. Chad Keegan took four for 113. The Nottinghamshire bowlers soon started to make inroads into Middlesex's top order and Andy Harris forced Strauss to edge a delivery to wicketkeeper Chris Read in the fourth over. Ben Hutton (two) lasted just eight balls before he came forward to Greg Smith and offered a catch to MacGill at second slip, while Owais Shah (seven) fared little better as he was trapped leg before by Harris. MacGill needed just four balls to capture his first victim with Read again taking the catch off the outside edge to dismiss Ed Joyce and reduce Middlesex to 56 for four. His second arrived when Sven Koenig played across the line to MacGill and was bowled for 30. Paul Weekes (21) and David Nash began a minor fightback, putting on 61 for the sixth wicket before MacGill struck again, sneaking a delivery between Weekes' bat and pad. That signalled a dramatic batting collapse and the last four wickets fell in the space of 12 balls as Middlesex slumped from 130 for five to 138 all out. MacGill ended the innings on a hat-trick after dismissing Keegan and Phil Tufnell with successive deliveries, and Nash was left stranded on 40 not out after running out of partners. Strauss and Koenig put up a much sterner challenge second time round putting on 127 for the first wicket. Koenig was first to go for 52. Attempting a pull shot off Logan he only managed to find the safe hands of Smith at mid-on. MacGill then took over once again as he dismissed Hutton and Keegan in the space of three balls, both without scoring, but Strauss went on to make his ton and will resume on the third day on 101 not out.
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