Middlesex sign off in style

Nannes and Udal run through Northants

Last updated: 27th September 2008

Dirk Nannes

Nannes: impressive spell on final day

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LV County Championship - Division Two
Northampton
Middlesex 545-7 dec (A J Strauss 172, E J G Morgan 136 no, O A Shah 114, M S Panesar 5-143) & 171-2 dec (A J Strauss 76, B A Godleman 55) v Northamptonshire 256 (M H Wessels 78, S D Udal 5-36) & 367 (R A White 123, M H Wessels 95, S P Crook 59, D P Nannes 4-42)
Middlesex (22pts) beat Northamptonshire (4pts) by 93 runs

Middlesex finished their LV County Championship Division Two season with a 93-run victory at Northamptonshire, their fourth win of a turbulent campaign.

Left-arm seamer Dirk Nannes claimed four wickets to help bowl out Northants for 367, in pursuit of 461.

Middlesex skipper Shaun Udal also got in on the act with 3-96 to finish with eight wickets in the match, although the hosts did not go down quietly.

Resuming at 84-1 when heavy fog at Wantage Road relented on the fourth morning, Rob White smashed a quickfire 123 and Riki Wessels later chipped in with 95.

However, White and Wessels' resilience proved to be too little too late as Nannes and Udal combined late on to leave Northants winless since July.

The result moved Middlesex up to third in the final standings, while Northants ended in fifth.

Day three

Northamptonshire closed day three against Middlesex on 84-1 chasing a massive 461 to win the Division Two clash at Wantage Road.

The home side had been bowled out for just 256 earlier in the day before the visitors quickly smashed their way to 171-2 to set up a run chase.

Riki Wessels made a top score of 78 in Northants' innings before becoming one of five victims for Middlesex skipper Shaun Udal.

The veteran spinner picked up his 34th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket for the cost of just 36 runs in an excellent spell that saw him rip out the middle order.

Andrew Strauss then followed up his first innings knock of 172 with a quick-fire 76 as he put on 135 with Billy Godleman (55) at the start of Middlesex's second innings.

Monty Panesar picked up two wickets before the declaration came and Northants lost Stephen Peters in the opening overs of their run chase. They recovered from the early setback thanks to a rapid 55 from Rob White.

Day two

England international Owais Shah and Eoin Morgan followed piled further misery on Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Shah took his overnight tally to 114 while Irish left-hander Morgan hit an unbeaten 136 as the visitors amassed a potentially match-winning 545 for seven declared.

England spinner Monty Panesar was the pick of a lacklustre Northants attack, picking up 5-143 before they stuttered in reply.

The hosts finished day two over 400 runs behind Middlesex - the visitors' paceman Steven Finn claiming two for 31 as they mustered just 128-3.

Middlesex got the perfect possible start to the Northants' innings when Tim Murtagh claimed his 62nd championship wicket of the season by trapping Stephen Peters lbw for four.

The home side responded well through Niall O' Brien and Rob White but both soon succumbed to the introduction of Finn.

The 19-year-old removed White for 32 before forcing O'Brien into a false shot on 30 to leave David Sales and Wessels stranded on 37 and 24 as they ended on 128.

Day one

Middlesex continued their strong finish to the LV County Championship season as Andrew Strauss inspired the visitors to 291-1 at stumps on the first day against Northamptonshire.

Strauss, a centurion in Middlesex's previous Division Two fixture against Worcestershire, picked up from where he left off as he struck 25 fours and two sixes en route to his highest Championship score of the season.

After winning the toss, stand-in skipper Shaun Udal opted to bat as Middlesex looked to nullify any new ball movement from the Northants seamers.

Strauss and partner Billy Godleman strode to the middle and immediately took the attack to openers David Lucas, playing his last game for the club, and David Wigley.

After putting on 101, Godleman fell in what turned out to be Northamptonshire's only success on day one.

The 19-year-old was lured out of his ground by Monty Panesar and wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien took off the bails after Godleman had made 41.

His dismissal brought England internationals Owais Shah and Strauss together and both players quickly showed their international class against a depleted Northants attack.

Strauss breezed to his second century of the season after lunch as he and Shah took their attack to the Northants bowlers with minimum fuss.

The pair will return to the county ground on day two with Strauss well set on 164 and Shah dangerously poised on 69 not out.