La la la Nick Nick Nick Nick

Haringay Racer reports on another great day for Middlesex and our two Nicks. This is accompanied with some quality Darren Gosling pictures. 

Day 2 started cloudy but warm. Middlesex resumed on 100 for 1 with the two Nicks at the crease: Gubbins 42 not out and Compton 10 not out. I wasn’t present yesterday but those who were tell me that Nick C had been more than a little lucky to have survived to the close. Durham opened up with Onions from the Pavilion End and Rushworth from the Nursery End.

Compton’s luck continued as he was dropped at slip by Collingwood off the easiest chance imaginable – straight into the hands, with no need to move, and straight out again – when he was on 15. Rushworth was the unlucky bowler and three balls later a quick single saw Compton survive a direct hit from the covers which must have been close.

Gubbins in the meantime was carrying on in his usual calm manner and reached 50 with a four past point off Onions who had already been hooked for four by Compton earlier in the over. Onions’ frustrations weren’t helped in his next over when Gubbins square drove for another four, then played and missed to a beauty that moved away as he tried to play it to leg.

A double change of bowling brought Wood and Borthwick into the attack. Gubbins played one shot just over short leg’s head and another mistimed shot lobbed into the on side but well clear of the fielder this time. At the end of the first hour the pair had take the total to 142 for 1.

Borthwick seemed to be having a problem with one of his variations: I’m not sure exactly what it was supposed to do but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be a medium-paced half-tracker. He got away with four or five during the day and one of them came perilously close to bowling Compton as it kept low and beat the attempted pull shot.

By now Compton was starting to look a little more like his old self but both batsmen still made the occasional false shot: one over from Coughlin contained two edges between slips and gully for four, one by each batsman.

Possibly out of desperation Collingwood introduced the off-spin of Hickey just before lunch; his second ball was cut for two by Compton to bring up his 50. Lunch was take with the total on 189 for 1 (Gubbins 87, Compton 53) after 70 overs.

During lunch the clouds lifted and the rest of the day was played in glorious sunshine. Coughlin and Borthwick resumed after lunch. Coughlin’s first two balls brought Compton successive boundaries via a back foot force through cover and a pull. His next over saw Gubbins bring up the 200 with a clip through midwicket for another four. A couple of balls later Gubbins flashed at a wide one, bowler and fielders celebrated and, as an afterthought, appealed to the umpire. Not out.

Gubbins, on 99, played out a maiden over from Wood but reached three figures with a single in Borthwick’s next over, the 80^th. The new ball was taken immediately and in the first over Wood appealed unsuccessfully for a catch behind against Gubbins who indicated (after the umpire’s decision) that the ball had flicked his pad. Next ball from Wood was fired down the leg side for four byes, bringing up the 150 partnership

Go go Gubbo

In Wood’s next over Compton lobbed up an attempted pull that fell safe, then Gubbins ducked into a short ball that kept a little low, taking the ball on the grille, but with no damage done. By now the score was mounting steadily, punctured by lbw appeal of varying degrees of optimism. One in particular from Borthwick hit Compton well outside leg stump (although it might have hit a second set). Apart from that the afternoon was a series of milestones.

Compton brought up his hundred with a dab to third man for two followed by another for a single. Shortly afterwards the partnership reached 200, then a cut for four by Gubbins off Hickey brought up the 300; he then produced his trademark pick-up for six off Coughlin and tea was taken at 316 for 1 from 100 overs (Gubbins 141, Compton 120) leaving 34 runs needed from 10 overs to reach a fourth batting point.

Where there's a claim. Go for Compo  

After tea Wood (who had spent 25 minutes off the field during the afternoon session) returned from the pavilion end bowling very quickly. A top edge from Gubbins landed safely between three fielders for a single; the next ball whistled past Compton’s nose. In the 102^nd over Wood moved one away from Gubbins who nicked head high to Borthwick at second slip and this time the catch was taken cleanly. 324 for 2; Gubbins out for 145.

By the time Onions came on for the 105^th over 19 were needed for the bonus point. Malan slashed the second ball for four through the slips but the sixth ball saw him caught behind from a flat-footed waft for 5; 335 for 3.

With Stirling coming in at no 5, hopes of a bonus point were still alive. His first ball, from Wood, was into his ribs. He played it down in front of him and it was very close to rolling onto the wicket. At the end of the over 12 were needed off three overs. The next over was a maiden from Onions at the end of which Compton was late on his shot and played onto the stumps. 338 for 4; 12 needed off two.

By now it was clear that the batsmen were more interested in building a big total than taking risks for the bonus point – quite reasonably in my view given how well Wood and Onions were bowling – and the 110^th over ended at 340 for 4. An edge off Onions just missed Stirling’s leg stump, bringing him four, then he pulled Rushworth for another four to bring up the 350. He and Simpson batted carefully until Simpson edged Coughlin and for the second time Borthwick made no mistake at second slip.363 for 5.

Captain Franklin came in and batted in his usual languid manner while Stirling gradually upped the scoring rate, in particular by finally giving two half-trackers from Borthwick the treatment that his colleagues had failed to earlier. He brought up the 400 coming down the pitch to lift Hickey over mid-on for another four but then turned the next ball into the hands of Jennings at leg slip. 401 for 6; after which Franklin and Rayner – promoted above Roland-Jones who was listed at 8 on the card – saw things through to the close.

So, an excellent day’s play ended with a lead of 204 with the weather forecast promising two full days to come. Game on!

Commanding position