Roland-Jones derails Derbyshire as Middlesex set big target

Toby Roland-Jones took five Derbyshire wickets to give the hosts a healthy lead

Vitality County Championship Division Two, Lord's (day three)

Middlesex: 433: Higgins 163, Du Plooy 57, Roland-Jones 52; Chappell 3-69, Dupavillon 3-104 & 302: Robson 67, Higgins 67, Du Plooy 59; Thomson 4-115

Derbyshire 339: Reece 125, Donald 54, Madsen 49; Roland-Jones 5-81

Derbyshire (5 pts) need 397 runs to beat Middlesex (7 pts)

Match scorecard

Middlesex captain Toby Roland-Jones tore through Derbyshire’s tail with a five-wicket haul on the third day of their County Championship clash at Lord's.

Seamer Roland-Jones finished with 5-81 as the visitors, who began day three on 308 for four, were hustled out inside the opening hour for 339.

Having top-scored with 163 in Middlesex’s first innings, Ryan Higgins took 3-60 before helping his side stretch their overall lead to 396 with a total of 302 second time around.

Higgins and Sam Robson both scored 67, with former Derbyshire skipper Leus du Plooy contributing 59, ensuring the visitors will need to break their record fourth-innings total to secure victory.

Trailing by just 125 with six wickets intact at the start of play, Derbyshire’s batting was blown away by Roland-Jones and Higgins.

Luis Reece was first to depart for a season-best 125, caught behind prodding outside off stump at Higgins.

Aneurin Donald advanced to 54 before Roland-Jones had him caught at short cover and Anuj Dal was dismissed in the next over.

Roland-Jones made short work of Derbyshire’s last three, with Zak Chappell leg before not playing a shot and Alex Thomson and Daryn Dupavillon both out to slip catches.

Chappell immediately responded with the ball, having Mark Stoneman caught in the slips, but Robson raced to his half-century before lunch, dominating a partnership of 85 with Max Holden.

However, Chappell struck again when Robson clipped him into the hands of mid-wicket and Reece’s medium pace finally prised out Holden. Reece also removed Nathan Fernandes, bowled having a swing soon after the tea interval.

Du Plooy’s innings ended when he skied Thomson to deep mid-wicket but Higgins brought up his half-century by hammering Thomson over mid-on for six, just after Dal’s flying catch removed Luke Hollman.

Thomson had Roland-Jones caught at long off, finishing with 4-115 when Henry Brookes holed out in the final over.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network