Close, day two: Middlesex 262-3 trail Northants 283 by 21 runs
A century from skipper Chris Rogers and a superb batting display by Dawid Malan saw Middlesex close in on a first innings lead at the end of day two at Northampton.
Rogers (106) and Malan (92) put on 190 for the second wicket to help Middlesex recover from the early loss of Sam Robson.
Their vigils ended after tea but Neil Dexter (35 not out) and Joe Denly (20 not out) guided the visitors to 262-3 at stumps, 21 runs behind.
Earlier, it had taken Middlesex 11 overs to take the final two Northamptonshire wickets, with Toby Roland-Jones wrapping it up to finish with a career-best 6-55.
The seamer claimed five on Sunday and was brought into the attack nine overs into the second day in a bid to end a frustrating ninth-wicket partnership.
But it was Ravi Patel who made the breakthrough, Sam Robson taking a catch at short leg, before Roland-Jones had last man Azharullah pouched at slip in the next over.
His figures were his best in first-class cricket, surpassing the 6-63 he took against Nottinghamshire last April.
Middlesex’s reply began badly as they lost Robson in the fourth over to a one-handed drive which he edged to third slip.
But Rogers and Malan made fairly serene progress with both passing 50 during the afternoon session.
By the time tea came round, they had taken the total to 175-1 and Rogers added the six runs he needed for his second ton of the season shortly after the interval.
The Australia opener lasted just five more deliveries before he was bowled by Matt Spriegel and Malan was to fall just eight short of a century when he was caught at mid-wicket.
That brought the out-of-form Denly, whose top score in four Championship innings this season is eight, to the crease to partner Dexter.
They avoided any major scares to add 36, with Denly scoring 20 of them, and put Middlesex in sight of a lead.
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This post was last modified on 20/05/2014