County Championship: Middlesex collapse against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham

Matt Taylor has taken 19 wickets in the County Championship this season

Middlesex lost their last eight wickets for 25 runs as Gloucestershire bowled them out for just 101 at Cheltenham.

Matt Taylor claimed 4-19, his best return of the season, and Tom Price 3-29 in just his second match.

From 76-2 just before lunch, Dan Worrall took two wickets in two balls to start a remarkable collapse.

With a lead of 147, James Bracey made a cathartic 88 and Miles Hammond 46 as Gloucestershire made 198-6 to ram home their advantage - a lead of 345.

The home side did it all without left-arm paceman David Payne, one of nine uncapped players to get called up for international duty for the first time in the wake of England's mini-Covid crisis prior to Thursday's start of the ODI series with Pakistan.

Bracey's 95-ball fifty was his first after a horror run with England and a series of low scores on his return for Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast.

But he ensured his side closed day two very well placed for a victory to keep up their challenge for the top two in Group Two.

Middlesex have endured some terrible days with the bat this season but this would rank as perhaps their worst.

Sam Robson struck five boundaries in his 37 at the top of the order but when he was bowled by one from Worrall that nipped back, it began a miserable slide out of the game.

Peter Handscomb (21) was the only other visiting batsman to reach double figures as three of his team-mates fell for ducks.

Cheltenham College and dark skies provided a dramatic backdrop to the match on day two

Gloucestershire paceman David Payne:

"It's probably the last thing I expected to happen. To get the call is the most amazing news and I can't wait to join up with the squad.

"I saw I had a missed call from Chris Silverwood and my heart started pounding. He called me again in the car as I was driving to the ground.

"My initial reaction was a bit confused because we're in the middle of a game. But this has been a dream for a very long time. I can't stop smiling. It's what everyone plays for. Everything I've ever wanted."

Middlesex opening batsman Sam Robson:

"We knew it was going to be a tough day but we weren't good enough ultimately and it's very disappointing.

"There was enough happening for the bowlers but our decision making wasn't as good as we'd liked.

"It was tough going at times but you expect that virtually every time you bat. We have to come out in the morning, knock them over quickly and then obviously play much better than we did."