AN absorbing day's play on Friday saw Middlesex pass the Essex total of 276-6 with one wicket and 8.1 overs remaining to record victory by one wicket in this two-day friendly at Chelmsford.

The visitors' victory owed much to an innings of 74 from 20-year-old Dawid Malan, who arrived at the crease with his side on 108-3 but showed maturity in his shot-selection to lead the recovery.

With Ben Scott, he added 128 for the sixth wicket before both departed in successive overs.

Scott fell in the first over of a new spell by David Masters after the recruit from Leicestershire had encouraged David Nash to edge behind the wicket off an attempted pull.

Then Malan departed in the next over for 74 when he drove Alex Tudor to cover to end an innings spanning 117 deliveries that embraced 14 boundaries including two sixes.

Essex followed up those two slices of encouragement with a third wicket in the same Tudor over when Tim Murtagh, playing back, was pinned plumb in front of his wicket to leave the outcome nicely poised after the fall of the three wickets in just eight deliveries.

Having been 244-5, Middlesex had slipped to 247-8 still requiring 30 runs but the tail wagged effectively - although they rode their luck - to just edge across the finishing line.

The result was immaterial as both counties took advantage of the decent weather to enjoy a good workout ahead of the first-class season.

And the home side will have been encouraged by the bowling of new ball pair of Tudor and Masters, who shared eight wickets.

Both caused the Middlesex early order a number of problems and might have gained leg before decisions while inducing a host of rash shots from the batting side.

Masters finished with 4-40, while his opening partner and former England bowler Tudor claimed 4-73 as both saw opponents misjudge pace and bounce.

Tudor whipped out Billy Godleman and Ed Smith in his first spell, while Masters beat Ed Joyce twice beat Ed Joyce with successive deliveries without reward.

Joyce survived a difficult time to reach a half-century which embraced nine of boundaries although that included three edges through slips.

He had faced 123 balls when James Middlebrook found turn to hit off stump having earlier bowled Eoin Morgan round his legs.

The revival followed the sudden collapse of the trio of wickets but experienced campaigners Shaun Udal and Chris Silverwood clubbed 23 before the latter lost off stump to Masters.

Udal added a single and a boundary to leave Middlesex requiring two runs for victory.

But last man Dan Evans swung wildly at a Tudor delivery sending the ball just out of the reach of Jason Gallian's despairing dive at first slip before seeing it crash against the boundary boards for the winning hit.