Middlesex collapse to Yorkshire thrashing
Yorkshire 253 & 400-5 dec beat Middlesex 232 & 201 by 221 runs
Middlesex lost six wickets in the final session as they fell to a dispiriting defeat that could fatally damage their Championship title hopes.
Needing to bat out the entire last day to escape with a draw, Middlesex reached 155-4 at tea with the usually attacking Eoin Morgan dropping anchor and John Simpson nearing 50.
But Morgan, who used up 137 deliveries to score just 29, was the first of four victims of Adil Rashid’s leg spin in the evening session, with the last four wickets coming in the space of five overs.
Simpson, who made a century in Middlesex’s first innings, fell for 61 as Yorkshire went on to complete a 221-run win that sees them move back to the top of Division One.
Middlesex are now 37 points behind with four matches to go – and are actually closer to the relegation places after a run of six Championship games without a victory.
They were never likely to win this one after Yorkshire had declared overnight to set them a nominal 422 to win in 96 overs.
And they suffered an early setback when Nick Gubbins was caught at slip for nine.
Chris Rogers and Dawid Malan looked solid in a fifty partnership that eased the pressure a little, until the latter edged Tim Bresnan to slip for 26.
Soon after lunch came a double blow that boosted Yorkshire’s hopes. Steven Patterson did the damage, having Rogers caught at second slip for 44 before trapping Paul Stirling lbw the next ball.
Simpson and Morgan dug in to frustrate the home side’s attack, eating up 26 overs as they reached tea unscathed.
Wicketkeeper Simpson completed his half century just after the break, but Morgan’s dismissal, caught behind off Rashid, proved the beginning of the end – 10 overs later, the match was done and dusted.
None of the tail got above double figures, with Rashid’s turn causing problems, and he ended up with figures of 4-27 when Tim Murtagh was caught at slip.
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