MCC v Middlesex: Late wickets give champions hope on day two in Abu Dhabi

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Middlesex celebrate a wicketImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Middlesex pace bowler Harry Podmore (centre) trapped both Alex Lees and Tom Alsop lbw in the space of three balls

Champion County game, Abu Dhabi (day two of four):

MCC 332 & 145-7: Lyth 42; Podmore 3-25, Harris 2-30

Middlesex 179: Malan 56; Gregory 5-32, Overton 4-37

MCC lead Middlesex by 298 runs

Middlesex fought back with seven late wickets on day two after being bowled out for 179 by MCC in the Champion County game in Abu Dhabi.

MCC chose not to enforce the follow-on and reached 145-7 in their second innings at the close, 298 runs ahead.

Harry Podmore (3-25) and James Harris (2-30) led the Middlesex fightback, while MCC opener Adam Lyth made 42.

Earlier, Lewis Gregory (5-32) and Craig Overton (4-37) impressed as Somerset bowlers took all 10 Middlesex wickets.

After Gregory's early burst of 3-1 in eight balls had left Middlesex in trouble, Dawid Malan (56) and John Simpson (49) coped well with the combined spin threat of Jack Leach, Mason Crane and Lyth during a sixth-wicket stand of 96.

MCC captain Alex Lees, who was unable to call upon injured Yorkshire team-mate Liam Plunkett, turned to his quicker bowlers in the fading light as he searched for a breakthrough.

Overton obliged immediately with two wickets in three balls to start a Middlesex collapse of five wickets for 15 runs.

Lyth and Lees hit five boundaries in the first nine balls of MCC's second innings, but Podmore struck twice in an over and Harris showed quick reactions in taking a smart return catch to dismiss Ben Duckett for 13.

Yorkshire left-hander Lyth could not survive until the close, slog-sweeping Ravi Patel straight to Tom Helm on the boundary eight runs short of a half-century, but MCC are in a strong position with two days remaining.

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