Dawid Malan gives Northants the runaround as Middlesex get upper hand

Northamptonshire should still draw this match, but the manner in which the Division Two leaders have been out-played over the first three days has been startling. Promotion may be almost assured, but on this evidence, their prospects of being consistently competitive in Division One are not promising. Chris Rogers, the stand-in captain, set the tone for Middlesex during the morning session when he hit David Willey for three consecutive boundaries in going to his half-century. That he was still in company with the night watchman Toby Roland-Jones said much about the ineffectiveness of the Northamptonshire seamers, and it took the introduction, far too long delayed, of the off-spinner James Middlebrook before the partnership was broken. If the dismissal of Roland-Jones, inside edging a wide half-volley on to his stumps, was fortunate from Middlebrook's point of view, the wicket of the left-handed Rogers, snicking a delivery that turned sharply away from him out of the bowler's footmarks, would have given pleasure to finger spinners everywhere. At that stage Middlesex were still 38 adrift, but Dawid Malan was joined by Jamie Dalrymple, and the two continued to score quickly. Dalrymple reached 40 before hooking Chaminda Vaas into the hands of long leg, but Malan continued to time the ball beautifully, first in company with John Simpson, and after the young wicketkeeper had pulled a Vaas delivery to deep square leg, with Ollie Rayner. Clearly under instruction, Rayner, who is on loan from Sussex and hoping to make the move permanent, launched a brutal assault on Middlebrook in particular, and under pressure, the Northamptonshire fielding cracked. Middlebrook must have thought he had finally got his man when, on 46, Rayner skied a mighty blow straight to Kyle Coetzer at extra cover, only for the wicketkeeper David Murphy to charge across and cause so much confusion that both left the ball. Malan went to his century off 165 balls, and hit the next three deliveries for four before edging a catch behind. During the interval between innings, Northamptonshire announced they had severely reprimanded David Lucas, who earlier in the day responded to sarcastic applause from a section of the crowd for a successful piece of fielding by extending a single finger in an undeniably offensive gesture. It is perhaps as well he is moving to Worcestershire next season. About the only positive from an otherwise miserable day for the home team was that openers Rob Newton and Stephen Peters survived the nine overs possible once Middlesex had declared.