Patience pays for Dexter and Middlesex

Close, day one: Middlesex 280-7 v Surrey

An unbeaten 77 from Neil Dexter and half centuries by Chris Rogers and Dawid Malan saw Middlesex make a solid start at The Oval.

Rogers (55) and Malan (61) led a recovery at the top of the order after the early wickets of Sam Robson and Joe Denly.

Dexter then laid anchor, facing 210 balls for his 77 not out and putting on useful partnerships with John Simpson and Gareth Berg.

Gary Keedy picked up three wickets for Surrey but Dexter and James Harris guided the visitors to 280-7 at the close as they look to avoid a third successive Championship loss.

Sam Robson (0) and Joe Denly (12) departed inside the first hour but the innings was stabilised by Rogers and Malan’s third-wicket stand of 93, which took Middlesex to 117-2 at lunch.

However the partnership ended three balls after the interval when Rogers, who scored 44 of his 55 runs in boundaries, was run out.

Malan reached his half century off just 64 balls but edged to slip when he was on 61, one of two wickets for workaholic paceman Tim Linley.

The pace of the scoring slowed a little in the afternoon session, with Middlesex on 200-4 at tea, and they once again lost a wicket just after a break as Simpson fell.

Dexter went on to post his 50, from 128 balls, but had to watch from the non-striker’s end as both Berg and Ollie Rayner fell within a few overs of each other to leave Middlesex on 248-7.

The former four-day skipper continued to bat purposefully, adding 32 with Harris, and the pair will hope to push the score well beyond 300 in the morning.

•  Middlesex’s Eoin Morgan scored 124 as England beat Ireland in a one-day international in Dublin on Tuesday, while county colleague Tim Murtagh took 3-33 for Ireland.

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