County Championship: Middlesex start well against Derbyshire on rain-affected day

Sam Robson's 93 runs came off 163 deliveries with 13 fours

Middlesex got the better of Derbyshire, closing on 176-3, on a rain-affected first day in Division Two of the County Championship at Lord's.

Opener Sam Robson top-scored with 93, eventually falling to Alex Hughes (1-11) when he edged him behind.

Derbyshire had reduced the hosts to 65-2 but Robson's third wicket partnership with skipper Dawid Malan (51 not out) added 90 runs.

Rain saw stumps called at 16:55 BST with only 59 overs having been bowled.

Nick Gubbins, going without scoring to Luis Reece (1-39), and Max Holden (19) caught off the bowling of Sam Conners (1-28), were the only other wickets to fall on day one.

Middlesex assistant coach Nic Pothas:

"Sam Robson played beautifully. He's played really well the last couple of months and has ridden a wave. Max Holden also fought really hard on a wicket that did a bit early on.

"It would have been nice for Sam to notch up another hundred. We're very fortunate to play at Lord's but any hundred at Lord's is a great achievement.

"I'm sure if you offered someone 93 at the beginning of the day they'd bite your hand off."

Derbyshire's Sam Conners told BBC Radio Derby:

"It's been a long road coming back from injury, so I'm delighted. To get a game in at the end of the season is fantastic and to get a wicket at Lord's is even better.

"You just try and embrace it - seeing the honours boards in the pavilion is unbelievable and until you set foot out there, you don't realise how good it is.

"That's the main thing about playing at Lord's - you just want to play as much as you can when you get out there and I just gave it 100 per cent."