Rain hastens inevitable Middlesex draw
Lancashire 513: Petersen 191; Rayner 4-120, Roland-Jones 4-122
Middlesex 419-5: Gubbins 201*, Eskinazi 106; Jarvis 2-101
Middlesex (11 pts) drew with Lancashire (9 pts)
Rain prevented any play on the final day of Middlesex’s County Championship Division One match against leaders Lancashire at Lord’s and it was abandoned as a draw midway through the afternoon.
Middlesex were due to resume their first innings on 419-5 in reply to Lancashire’s 513, with Nick Gubbins on 201 not out and Paul Stirling unbeaten on two, but the weather had the final say.
Middlesex take 11 points, lifting them into third place in the table, while top-of-the-table Lancashire increase their lead over second-placed Yorkshire.
Richard Scott, Middlesex’s head coach, said: “It’s frustrating again to lose a day and a bit out of this game.
“We’ve had a lot of those this season, but we just have to take it and try again against Yorkshire at Scarborough in our next Championship match.
“We are really pleased, though, at how we’ve played in the game and especially the way that both Nick Gubbins and Stevie Eskinazi batted yesterday. They epitomise the skill and spirit in the side at the moment.
“Stevie didn’t look at all out of place at number three and he’s earned his opportunity because of his performances in the second XI.
“He will play again at Scarborough, and he will get a real belief that he can compete at first-class level from this innings.”
