Picture: Tony Marsh, CricPix
Warwickshire. 2nd XI v Middlesex 2nd XI at Edgbaston Foundation Sports Ground
Middlesex 482 & 376
Warwickshire 475 & 383-9
Match drawn
In an extraordinary match, played in idyllic summer conditions, Warwickshire and Middlesex drew their latest friendly match with scores equal after four days at the Edgbaston Foundation Sports Ground.
The Middlesex side included Nick Compton, their England batsman, returning to cricket after a self enforced mid-season break, but it was Warwickshire’s Matt Lamb who stole the headlines, with a double century in the first innings, followed by a whirlwind 167 in the second innings as Warwickshire just failed to chase an unlikely 384 for victory from just 67 overs.
Earlier, Middlesex won the toss and chose to bat, with first team players, Eskinazi 28 and Compton opening the batting.
Compton 2, was dismissed by Cloete in the third over, having faced just five deliveries, while Singh and Thornton’s further wickets left the visitors struggling on 107-4 in the 28th over.
Manwelge 43 and Rath added 115 for the fifth wicket before Andersson 110 joined Rath 140, to then share a second century partnership of 147 with Lace 47 adding more useful lower order runs as Middlesex closed on 482 from 113 overs.
Thornton 3-87, Brookes 2-76, Cloete 2-88 and Singh 2-99 were the wicket takers.
In reply Umeed 35 and Westwood 87 put on 78 for the first wicket and after losing Pollock 18 , Lamb came to the wicket and made his maiden double century, 205 from 309 deliveries with 24 fours and 2 sixes before being bowled, ninth out by Rath.
A ninth wicket partnership of 117 with Singh 57 helped boost the total to 475 just seven runs in arrears on first innings.
With Compton 18, bowled by Spencer, Middlesex second innings was built around a third wicket partnership of 164 between Steel 105 and Scott 78 with Lace 43, once again adding useful lower order runs before the innings closed on 376, setting Warwickshire a target of 384 for victory.
Spencer 3-75, Singh 3-88 and Thornton 2-92 were the main wicket takers before Umeed 2 was dismissed in the fourth over of the Warwickshire run-chase.
Bruce then picked up his second wicket when dismissing Pollock 23, but Lamb and wicketkeeper Mellor 49, then added 138 in 25 overs to keep the home side interested in the target.
Lamb continued to be in scintillating form and with Ludlow 30 added a further 96 from 14 overs for the fourth wicket while completing his century before being fifth out for 167 from just 149 deliveries, with a staggering 8 sixes and 17 fours from a total of 290-5.
Once Lamb had gone, Hope 43 and Singh 19 continued to keep Warwickshire on track for victory, but the last pair of Westwood and Spencer were just unable to reach the target despite a last ditch six from Westwood to level the scores and leave the match drawn at the end of four days’ entertaining cricket.
