Visitors seal victory with two balls remaining in Taunton
Wednesday 13 July 2016 19:22, UK
John Simpson steered Middlesex to a thrilling two-wicket win over Somerset on the final day of their County Championship clash in Taunton.
Simpson (79no from 80 balls) clubbed Jim Allenby for six over square leg as the visitors chased down their target of 302 with two balls remaining of the 46th and final over to stay top of Division One.
Middlesex were well set on 150-1 in the 23rd over with opener Nick Gubbins firing a quick-fire 76 but his departure and the exit of George Bailey (5) two overs later left the visitors seemingly happy to bat out for a draw.
However, James Fuller's 36 from 18 balls - a knock which featured three sixes - sparked a frenzied finish and Simpson steered Middlesex over the line with his fourth maximum despite Tim Groenewald claiming five wickets.
Somerset, who sit sixth in the standings, had declared on 446-9, Peter Trego extending his score to 138, three runs shy of his career best.
Elsewhere, Sam Hain and Tim Ambrose hit final-day tons as Warwickshire's game with Hampshire at Edgbaston ended in a draw.
Hain (135) and Ambrose (104) shared a fifth-wicket stand of 223 as the hosts reached 398-6 in their first innings before handshakes took place shortly before 5pm.
Warwickshire are second in the table, while Hampshire - who plundered 531 in their sole innings in Birmingham with Adam Wheater hitting an unbeaten 204 - are off the bottom, above Surrey, after claiming 11 points.
Adam Lyth's 116 not out helped Yorkshire reach 207-3 by stumps on day three of their match at Surrey, skipper Andrew Gale (61) supporting the opener during a third-wicket stand of 150.
The hosts had earlier been dismissed for 256 after starting the day on 164-5, Steven Davies hitting 56 before Sam Curran ended unbeaten on 59.
Curran bowled Alex Lees (15) and Stuart Meaker cleaned up Jack Leaning (0) as Yorkshire slipped to 47-2 but Lyth and Gale - who was caught off Tom Curran late in the day - helped cut the Tykes' deficit to 60 runs.
In Division Two, meanwhile, Essex seamer Matt Quinn seized seven wickets as the table-toppers reduced Gloucestershire to 218-8 on a weather-affected day one in Cheltenham.
Quinn's intitial burst saw Gloucestershire stumble from 77-0 to 140-7 but Craig Miles (45no) and David Payne (26) dug in with a stand of 65 before Quinn (7-61) ousted Payne close to stumps.
