Worcestershire v Middlesex County Championship Day Four Report

Ben Allison produced a superb 89 to keep the Pears’ hopes of a famous victory alive until the early afternoon, but his dismissal saw Worcestershire collapse from 131-4 to 155-7 as the visitors took control.

Gohar’s controlled spell kept the pressure on the home side throughout, who were unable to hold on for a draw after a damaging period either side of tea.

Eventually dismissing their opponents for 216, Middlesex claimed an important third win of the season, as they leapfrogged their opponents in a tightly packed Division Two table.

Well and truly up against it at the start of day four, it was night watcher Ben Allison who threw caution to the wind in a positive cameo early on as the sun peeped through the clouds at New Road.

Allison, showed superb temperament, latching onto the short ball offered up by the Middlesex seam attack with some dismissive blows through midwicket, as he and partner Roderick registered their fifty partnership on the stroke of midday.

Whilst Roderick continued on with patience, belief inside the Pears camp began to grow, as Allison brought up crucial half-century from just 61 balls with a punch through the off side.

The momentum was firmly with the home side, with the third wicket partnership taking their side to within 250 runs of their target as Allison moved into the 60’s and the visitors’ bowlers struggled to find a foothold.

Eathan Bosch was the man who turned the fortunes for Middlesex, 15 minutes before lunch when he ended Roderick’s 104-ball resistance.

Resuming 135-3, the pressure of the chase soon told as the away side grabbed four wickets for just 24 runs to flip the contest on it’s head.

Zafar Gohar, who had proved difficult to navigate on a deteriorating surface all match, ripped through the Worcestershire middle-order in a clinical spell that saw him take three wickets, starting by removing the skipper for just four when he edged to Tom Helm at first slip.

The spinner drove a dagger into Worcestershire hearts moments later when he ended Allison’s fine riposte, 11 runs shy of a maiden first class century, as the Middlesex man got one to sneak past an attempted paddle sweep that careered into leg-stump.

Five balls later and the home side’s woes mounted, when Sebastian Morgan angled one back at Matthew Waite, beating the batter all ends up as the ball flattened his middle stump helping the visitors regain control, still ahead by over 200 runs.

A seventh wicket and third in the session for Gohar felt decisive, as the spinner-built pressure, with men around the bat watching Caleb Falconer take a straightforward catch at square leg after a mistimed sweep shot reduced the hosts to 155-7.

Henry Cullen showed excellent maturity on his second innings in first class cricket, as he and Tom Taylor came together to try and salvage a draw for the Pears, steering their side through to tea 191-7.

Still trailing by 166 when the players re-emerged, Gohar completed a superb fifer when he caught the edge of the Worcestershire debutant’s bat to provide a chance for Helm at first slip, who took a sensational reaction catch to remove Cullen for a 90-ball-21.

The end was nigh when Beyers Swanepoel nicked off to Helm who took another safe catch for Gohar’s sixth, before the visitors crowned an excellent performance with the final wicket of Harry Darley, to secure a 141-run win.

Rothesay County Championship Division Two: Day Four

Middlesex (339 and 283-6 dec), beat Worcestershire (216 and 283) by 141 runs