County Championship: Middlesex beat Bears inside three days at Edgbaston

Ethan Bamber finished with career-best match figures of 9-91 at Edgbaston

Division One strugglers Middlesex give their hopes of avoiding relegation a big boost by beating 2021 county champions Warwickshire inside three days at Edgbaston.

They took the last six Bears wickets for just 43 inside an hour and a quarter as the hosts were bowled out for 232, Ethan Bamber taking two of them for a haul of 4-71 - and career-best match figures of 9-91.

Mark Stoneman the led the way with 52 not out, his fifth half-century of the season, as Middlesex knocked off the runs within 40 minutes of lunch to win by nine wickets - their third County Championship victory of 2023.

The Bears, who suffered their third loss of the campaign, remain fourth going into the August red-ball break.

After bowling out the home side for 60 on the first morning, then earning a 139-run first-innings lead, Middlesex still had work to do on day three after a weather-hit Wednesday.

But the overnight rain appeared to turn the Edgbaston batting conditions back into the bowlers' favour.

Spinner Josh de Caires made the key early breakthrough, turning one sufficiently to get rid of main Bears dangerman Sam Hain, to have him caught at the wicket by John Simpson for 69. And that opened the door for the Middlesex pacemen to do the rest, with all five to fall out clean bowled.

Just 10 balls after Hain's dismissal, Jacob Bethell lost his off stump to Ryan Higgins. Then came two in successive overs as Bamber made a mess of Michael Burgess's stumps before Ed Barnard played no shot to Higgins and the ball clipped his off bail.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby then became the latest to leave his stumps exposed when he became Bamber's ninth victim of the match.

But there was to be no 10-wicket match haul as, after some bat-swinging from Henry Brookes, Tom Helm took the final wicket, as Mir Hamza missed and the bails were once again sent flying.

With only 94 needed to win, it was never likely to trouble Middlesex. But they did lose both Sam Robson and Stephen Eskinazi to slip catches off Brookes before they got the job done.

What happens next?

After winning inside the distance, Middlesex have earned an extra day off before Sunday's One-Day Cup warm-up against Berkshire at Falkland Cricket Club in Newbury.

The Bears are also in action the same day when they visit South Wales to face the Welsh National Counties side in the shadow of the Severn Bridge at Caldicot.

But there is now a five-week break from red-ball cricket for all the 18 first-class counties before the Championship resumes.

Both face tough welcome-back fixtures against the top two.

The Bears meet Surrey at The Oval on 3 September, then, 24 hours later, Middlesex start their four-day game with Essex at Chelmsford.

Warwickshire first team coach Mark Robinson:

"On the first morning the ball nipped about and seamed in good bowling conditions. No wicket is ever a 60 all out wicket but sometimes these things happen against good bowlers.

"This was different. That collapse shouldn't have happened. There were mitigating circumstances on the first day but you can have no excuses for that. It was poor.

"We are a bit tired and one or two players haven't scored runs recently and they have got a bit of self-doubt. You lose a bit of intent and that can affect your decision-making.

"It's been quite a tough schedule but we need to manage it better and, from a coaching point of view, work out how we can protect the players and keep giving them confidence."

Middlesex captain Toby Roland-Jones:

"When you come out and bowl a side out for 60 to set the tone at the start of the game, that's particularly pleasing and then the way we scrapped really well to stay on top after that was also pleasing.

"Credit to Warwickshire, they dug in and you always know there is going to be a bit of a fightback but then we were clinical and ruthless again at the end to round things off.

"Ethan Bamber is all energy with plenty of heart and the skill to match. There will be some lazy points made that this was a pitch that suited him, but I don't think that was the case. He's just outbowled everyone else.

"He was outstanding in the first innings and credit to him because he has had a few games where he has bowled nicely and not got his rewards. So well done him for sticking with it and finding the right approach."