Leics defeat Middlesex for first win of season
Ben Green did most of the damage for Leicestershire against Middlesex
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division Two, Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester (day three)
Leicestershire 179 & 372: Goldsworthy 75; Roland-Jones 5-76
Middlesex 86: Mike 5-22, Green 4-28 & 342: Du Plooy 60; Mike 3-88
Leicestershire (19 pts) beat Middlesex (3 pts) by 123 runs
Leicestershire recorded their first victory of the County Championship season and inflicted a first defeat on Middlesex with a 123-win inside three days.
After being skittled for 86 in their first innings on day one, Middlesex were left to chase an unlikely 466 if they were to leave Grace Road with a fourth success of the campaign after Leicestershire made 372 in their second innings.
Instead they were bowled out for 342, the decisive phase coming in the half-hour after tea when Leus Du Plooy (60) and Ryan Higgins (41) were out in quick succession.
Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones at least offered some late defiance, throwing caution to the wind with a 33-ball 59 that included eight sixes before he was last man out.
Ben Green and Ben Mike did most of the damage for Leicestershire.
Green hit 77 second-innings runs to go with his career-best 4-28 in Middlesex’s first innings, adding two more wickets on Tuesday and taking the catch on the mid-wicket boundary that clinched the win.
Mike added 41 second-innings runs to his career-best 5-22 in the first innings, finishing with eight wickets in the match after his second-innings 3-88.
Already 404 runs to the good when rain forced an early finish on day two, Leicestershire added another 61 in the dozen overs it took Middlesex to dismiss Mike and Green at the start of the day.
Middlesex openers Mark Stoneman and Sam Robson were then both out inside the first 11 overs, Robson edging behind off Mike for two and Stoneman making 30 before being caught at second slip when Green found some bounce and away movement.
Max Holden (37) was the only casualty of the afternoon session, but the pendulum swung Leicestershire’s way shortly after tea with the key wickets of Du Plooy and Higgins.
Du Plooy slapped a Mike delivery straight to backward point, ending what seemed like the key partnership after 78 runs, before Higgins was caught by wicketkeeper Ben Cox off Matt Salisbury.
Scott Currie and Louis Kimber were also among the wickets as the hosts wrapped up a convincing win.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.
