Eskinazi & Geddes guide Middlesex into healthy lead

Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Spitfire Ground, Canterbury (day two)

Middlesex 222 & 222-6: Geddes 73*, Eskinazi 57; Gilchrist 2-52

Kent 218: Stewart 56, Finch 52; Cullen 4-60

Middlesex (5pts) lead Kent (3pts) by 226 runs with four second-innings wickets remaining.

Match scorecard

Ben Geddes made an unbeaten 73 before stumps at Canterbury

Middlesex have batted themselves into a commanding position at the end of day two of their County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury, with a lead of 226 at stumps.

Stephen Eskinazi gave them a platform with 57 before Ben Geddes cashed in after being dropped twice to make 73 not out.

Earlier Kent were all out for 218, handing the visitors a four-run first-innings lead.

Grant Stewart made 56 and Harry Finch 52 but their 101-run partnership was broken in the second over of the morning session. Blake Cullen had Middlesex's best figures with 4-60, while Ryan Higgins took 3-37.

Kent were still 50 in arrears at the start of day two but after passing 50 in the first over Stewart swished Ryan Higgins to Zafar at midwicket, ending a partnership of 101.

Finch punched Roland-Jones through the covers to bring up his 50 but Higgins pinned him lbw in the next over.

Jas Singh and Kashif Ali almost got Kent to parity, until an eventful 83rd over. Kashif was on 16 when he hooked Cullen, but Brookes reacted a split second too slowly and the chance went down. However, he was run out off the very next delivery, when Singh drove Cullen through the covers and Zafar Gohar's throw allowed Cullen to break the stumps with Kashif a centimetre from making his ground. Cullen then bowled Singh middle stump to give Middlesex a slender advantage.

Nathan Fernandes' run of single-figure scores this season continued when Nathan Gilchrist had him lbw for one in the fourth over.

Max Holden, lucky to get off the mark with a tailender's swipe at Stewart, nicked Gilchrist to Daniel Bell-Drummond at third slip for five in the next over, but Eskinazi and Leus du Plooy steered them to 33-2 at lunch and looked well set for an hour after the resumption until the latter edged Stewart to Jack Leaning for 26, breaking a 56-run partnership.

Joey Evison struck with his second ball, bowling Higgins' off stump for 15 and Ben Geddes nearly went in the same over but Tawanda Muyeye couldn't cling on at first slip.

Eskinazi clipped Evison for a single to reach 50 but was lbw to Singh in the 42nd over and there was further encouragement for Kent members, during an otherwise interminable afternoon session, when Michael Cohen came on as a sub fielder after missing the entire 2024 season with a back injury.

Middlesex, however, were 147-5 when tea was finally taken at 4.23 pm and the game began to drift away from the hosts, with Gilchrist unable to take a return catch off Geddes, who subsequently straight-drove Evison for four to reach his 50.

Jack Davies joined him in making batting look easy on a track that had looked treacherous on day one until Leaning got him for 27, caught by Bell-Drummond at first. Cullen then came in for three deliveries before the players came off for bad light to end the day.

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Middlesex's Stephen Eskinazi:

"It was really pleasing to put in a performance to help the team get in a really strong position in the game. I think Kent played unbelievably last night to put the game on a knife's edge.

"We were always going to have to play really well in the first two or three hours of batting to give us a really good chance with the ball to go out and win a game of cricket. We're a lot more confident than we have been in previous years, the guys have worked hard on their game so we're pleased it's come together.

"It's been a really good cricket wicket, it's been challenging the whole way through and when guys have got it in the right are it's been incredibly difficult.

"I think there's been some good pace in the wicket too and it's a really fast outfield, so you do feel that if you can through that new ball, as Geddo's shown there you can get on top. It's going to be a really interesting day's cricket tomorrow."

Kent's Grant Stewart:

"Definitely we've seen in pretty much every innings so far that it's gotten a bit easier once you've gotten through the new ball, so I think that's been the key. Certainly today looked a bit more bat-friendly than day one, that's for sure.

"Finchy's a good man and we bat a bit together because we're pretty close in the order so we put to a solid partnership, tried to keep it ticking over and put pressure back on their bowlers, tried to capitalise on any bad balls.

"It sets it up for a pretty good game to be honest and if we get through the new ball when we bat I wouldn't be too averse to chasing 300 plus on that really. It could be a good day's cricket tomorrow."