Comment

MIDDLESEX are in the driving seat at the end of the third day of the County Championship clash at Chelmsford having reduced Essex to 123-5 after the home side had been set 299 runs for victory.

Jason Gallian and Alastair Cook had got the innings off to a positive start wiping 70 runs off the target in 15 overs with increasing fluency before Cook, on 31, was trapped leg before by Vernon Philander with a bal that cut back to the left-hander.

Gallian and Varun Chopra opted for a period of entrenchment but with just 13 runs added in 8 overs, Gallian was controversially given out caught at first slip for 40 off the bowling of Tim Murtagh although the ball appeared to have rebounded off the batsman's arm guard.

That was the first of three wickets to fall in 7 deliveries and suddenly, the initiative had passed to the visitors and spinner Shan Udal tightened the screw when he removed Tom Westley for 1 and Mark Pettini for a duck in the same over. It was the second time in the match that the Essex skipper had failed to trouble the scorers, curiously a feat that also befell his opposite number Ed Smith.

Ryan ten Doeschate played confidently to lift Essex hopes but having scored 18 out of 34 for the fifth wicket, he played a poor shot to Udal and cut the ball into the hands of Steve Finn.

Tony Palladino was sent in as night watchman and stayed with Chopra who will resume on 17 when Essex attempt the unlikely challenge of scoring a further 176 runs to complete victory but the odds must be on Middlesex to record their first win of the season in the competition.

Earlier the home side had eventually dismissed their opponents for 203 although it took them two full sessions to capture the remaining seven wickets. David Nash proved the obstructive force with an unbeaten half-century whilst figuring in a couple of half-century partnerships.

The wicket-keeper's efforts were all the more praiseworthy as he was suffering from a hamstring strain that forced him to use Andrew Strauss as a runner but Nash made light of his injury to underpin the addition of 124 runs during his stay in the middle.

After James Middlebrook had removed Billy Godleman for 28 and Eoin Morgan for 25, Nash took on the responsibility of holding the innings together.

He and Philander added 49 for the eighth wicket before Ryan ten Doeschate broke the liaison having the latter caught for 20 by Tony Palladino at deep square leg but Murtagh joined Nash for a stand of 70, the highest of the innings although both batsmen enjoyed moments of good fortune.

Nash, on 30 was bowled by ten Doeschate only for the bowler to be no-balled whilst Murtagh had scored only 8 when he was dropped by James Foster in the bowler's next over.

However the return of Palladino into the action brought about a rapid conclusion to the innings with the 24 year-old paceman grabbing three wickets in five deliveries removing Murtagh, caught behind, for 42 before claiming Steve Finn and Dan Evans for ducks as the bowler finished with 4-29 to leave the plucky Nash out of partners.

He did take his usual place behind the stumps at the commencement if the Essex second innings but after just four overs, was forced to hand the gauntlets over to Ed Joyce and leave the field to be replaced by a substitute fielder.

10:27pm Friday 9th May 2008

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