Injuries add to insult of humiliating defeat for Middlesex
Warwickshire 126 & 361: Lamb 71; Higgins 4-75, Murtagh 3-63
Middlesex 161 & 136: Sowter 37, Finn 31*; Barker 3-21
Middlesex (3 pts) lost to Warwickshire (19 pts) by 190 runs
Middlesex were humiliated by Warwickshire at Lord’s as they crashed to their first home County Championship defeat in almost three years.
The home side capitulated for just 136 in their second innings against a Warwickshire team who had failed to win any of their eight previous games this season.
And Middlesex’s misery was compounded by injuries to batsmen Sam Robson and Nick Gubbins – following the one sustained by Adam Voges in the warm-up on day one.
Resuming in the morning on 293-8, Warwickshire bolstered their lead with brisk scoring from Keith Barker and Chris Wright, who eventually added 97 for the ninth wicket.
Barker (62 not out) reached his half-century by banging Steven Finn back over his head and, when he miscued a hook in the next over, Gubbins stumbled while attempting to take the catch and had to be helped from the field.
Wright (41) eventually perished to a top edge off Finn, while Nathan Sowter picked up his first Championship wicket to end the innings by bowling Ryan Sidebottom (1).
Faced with a nominal target of 327, Middlesex openers Robson, who batted with a runner, and Nick Compton, replacing Gubbins, survived until lunch – but then the carnage began.
Robson (19) was the first to depart, leg before to Barker in the second over of the afternoon, and Stevie Eskinazi (2) soon followed, caught at second slip.
Nick Compton (3) became Barker’s third victim, caught behind off a rising delivery, and Chris Woakes reduced Middlesex to 34-5 by gaining lbw decisions against John Simpson (4) and Ryan Higgins (5).
James Franklin (1) then had his leg stump removed by Woakes, but the injured Gubbins (15) gamely kept Sowter company while he restored some semblance of Middlesex pride.
Some spirited blows from Sowter – including a square six off Sidebottom – earned him 37 from 23 balls before the Warwickshire paceman took revenge by having him caught at short leg.
Jeetan Patel accounted for Tom Helm (15) and Tim Murtagh (0) and, although Finn enjoyed himself with an unbeaten cameo knock of 31, Gubbins was finally dismissed lbw to finish proceedings.
