Middlesex in control after Dexter heroics

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Close, day three: Northants 283 & 88-4 trail Midd’x 543-7 dec by 172 runs

Neil Dexter made a career-best 163 not out and Toby Roland-Jones starred with both bat and ball as Middlesex put themselves in sight of victory at Northampton.

Former captain Dexter plundered 19 fours and three sixes, sharing in a stand of 158 with Joe Denly (70) to take the game away from the home side.

Roland-Jones then smashed 60 in just 30 balls, his highest first-class score, to enable Middlesex to declare on 543-7, a first innings lead of 260.

The day just got better for the visitors as Tim Murtagh bowled James Middlebrook with the first ball of Northamptonshire’s second innings, before Roland-Jones returned to haunt the hosts with two more wickets.

Denly picked up Matt Spriegel with the final ball to leave Northants reeling on 88-4 at stumps, still needing 172 more runs to avoid an innings defeat.

The weather is set fair for most of Wednesday, which should allow Middlesex the time they need to complete a victory that would take them 19 points clear at the top of the Championship.

They steadily batted Northants out of the game on day three, with Dexter and Denly’s partnership establishing a healthy lead and guaranteeing the fourth batting bonus point.

Dexter reached his first ton since last June on the stroke of lunch while Denly’s gritty half century showed he was finally back in form after failing to make double figures in his six Championship and T20 innings so far this season.

When Denly fell, the lead was 101 and cameos from John Simpson (18) and Ollie Rayner (14) helped Dexter extend that further during the afternoon.

Roland-Jones bludgeoned five fours and four sixes in a blink-and-you-miss-it half-hour knock of 60, following up career-best bowling figures in the first innings with his highest first-class batting performance.

Dexter passed his previous best score of 146, achieved against former side Kent in 2009, to help Middlesex beyond 500 and when Roland-Jones succumbed, they were called in.

Murtagh then bowled Middlebrook first ball and Roland-Jones removed Stephen Peters and David Sales in successive overs to leave Northants on 40-3.

Spriegel (36) led a recovery but when he was caught off Denly’s bowling, Middlesex knew they could start thinking about victory.

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