LIVE BLOG: Lancashire v Middlesex, Day Two
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6.18pm WICKET & CLOSE Day 2
Middlesex 1st inns 189-8 (44 overs) Gohar 16
Quite an eventful day considering we only managed to get 44 overs bowled!
A good for the Red Rose attack with four wickets for Tom Bailey who struck with the last ball of the day having Seb Morgan caught behind for 10.
6.00pm WICKET
Middlesex 1st inns 171-7 (41st over) Gohar 8 Morgan 0
Keaton Jennings takes a good head high catch at second slip off Tom Bailey to send back Ben Geddes for 52.
5.55pm
Middlesex 1st inns 170-6 (40th over) Geddes 51 Gohar 8
Ben Geddes has three sixes to his name, all pulled into the empty temporary stand at midwicket, as he reaches his half century from 80 balls.
We have 5 overs left today.
5.30pm
Middlesex 1st inns 150-6 (33 overs) Geddes 41 Gohar 6
Ben Geddes pulls a short delivery from George Balderson for six - his second of the innings.
We have 11 overs to go in sunny conditions this evening.
5.15pm WICKET
Middlesex 1st inns 132-6 (29.1 overs) Geddes 29 Gohar 0
Josh Bohannon comes bowling medium pace and cleans up Joe Cracknell with his first ball!
4.57pm WICKET
Middlesex 1st inns 120-5 (25.3 overs) Geddes 25 Cracknell 0
Josh de Cairns had reached a really nice fifty off 65 balls but he then edges a drive off Tom Bailey - who had dropped him on 46 off his own bowling - to Matty Hurst for 52.
4.07pm WICKET
Middlesex 1st inns 66-4 (12.3 overs) de Caires 24 Geddes 0
Two in two for Tom Aspinwall as Ryan Higgins edges to Michael Jones at first slip!
4.05pm WICKET
Middlesex 1st inns 66-3 (12.2 overs) de Caires 24 Higgins 0
Josh De Caires and Leus du Plooy bring up their 50 partnership off 42 balls from the first delivery after tea, but Tom Aspinwall strikes to remove du Plooy for 22, caught behind driving.
3.30pm TEA Day 2, RAIN DELAY
Middlesex 1st inns 61-2 (11 overs) de Caires 24 du Plooy 21
We are taking an early tea at 3.30pm and the umpires are monitoring the conditions.
Currently it is sunny and the groundstaff are removing the covers.
2.54pm RAIN DELAY
Middlesex 1st inns 61-2 (11 overs) de Caires 24 du Plooy 21
Leus du Plooy and Josh de Caires had settled into their partnership quite quickly after the restart, taking advantage of Lancashire's attacking fields with some good shots. They have added 49 runs from 38 balls so far.
Unfortunately another heavy shower has taken the players from the field.
2.45pm
Middlesex 1st inns 43-2 (9th over) de Caires 18 du Plooy 13
Tom Aspinwall replaces James Anderson and is hit for three consecutive boundaries by Josh de Caires.
2.35pm
Middlesex 1st inns 19-2 (6 overs) de Caires 3 du Plooy 6
Play is back under way after a two and a quarter hour delay with Leus du Plooy punching a back foot square drive for four off the fifth delivery by Tom Bailey.
2.20pm PLAY TO RESTART
Middlesex 1st inns 13-2 (5 overs) de Caires 3 du Plooy 0
Play will restart at 2.30pm with a minimum 51 overs to bowl.
2.00pm PITCH INSPECTION
Middlesex 1st inns 13-2 (5 overs) de Caires 3 du Plooy 0
The covers are coming off with the ground now bathed in sunshine. The umpires will make an inspection at 2.20pm.
1.10pm RAIN DELAY & LUNCH Day 2
Middlesex 1st inns 13-2 (5 overs) de Caires 3 du Plooy 0
Another shower has forced the groundstaff to bring more covers on to protect the square and run-ups, so there will be no more play before lunch which has been brought forward to 1.20pm.
1.00pm RAIN DELAY
Middlesex 1st inns 13-2 (5 overs) de Caires 3 du Plooy 0
The rain has stopped and the sun is shining, so the groundstaff are mopping up once more.
The hover cover and sheets remain in place for the moment and after that heavy shower I think it's unlikely that play will resume before lunch, which today is at 1.30pm.
12.20pm RAIN DELAY
Middlesex 1st inns 13-2 (5 overs) de Caires 3 du Plooy 0
Two balls later the players are scurrying off as a sudden heavy shower arrives.
12.18pm WICKET
Middlesex 1st inns 12-2 (5th over) de Caires 2 du Plooy 0
Luke Hollman pushes forward to James Anderson who finds an edge that goes to Michael Jones at first slip for 0. Great start by Lancashire!
12.12pm WICKET
Middlesex 1st inns 11-1 (4th over) de Caires 2 Hollman 0
Tom Bailey strikes first, the ball after he overpitched and was nicely clipped for four through midwicket by Sam Robson, the bowler adjusts his line and length to have the batter nicely caught low down at second slip by Keaton Jennings for 9.
12.03pm
Middlesex 1st inns 3-0 (2nd over) Robson 3 de Caires 0
Anderson had Robson feeling for the fourth ball of the that left him outside off stump.
Tom Bailey is sharing the new ball and bowling to Robson who took retains the strike.
12.00pm
Middlesex 1st inns 0-0 (1st over) Robson 0 de Caires 0
Play! says umpire Illingworth and finally we are under way with James Anderson bowling from his end to Sam Robson.
Incidentally - this match is also Keaton Jennings' 200th first-class game.
11.30am - TOSS & TEAMS
TOSS
Lancashirehave won the toss and elected to bowl.
TEAMS
Lancashire
Luke Wells, Keaton Jennings, Josh Bohannon, George Bell, Matty Hurst (wkt), Michael Jones, George Balderson, Arav Shetty, Tom Aspinwall, Tom Bailey, James Anderson (capt).
Arav Shetty makes his first-class debut today.
Middlesex
Sam Robson, Josh De Caires, Luke Hollman, Leus du Plooy (capt), Ryan Higgins, Joe Cracknell (wkt), Ben Geddes, Zafar Gohar, Seb Morgan, Henry Brookes, Toby Roland-Jones.
11.00am - PLAY TO START AT NOON
The good news is we will start play at 12.00pm providing there is no more rain before then, with lunch at 1.30pm, tea at 4pm, with a minimum of 80 overs to be bowled.
The toss will take place at 11.30am.
10.00am DELAYED START
The umpires have made an inspection and will return to make a further inspection at 11am.
Currently the conditions are dry and overhead it is quite bright.
9.30am
Good morning from Emirates Old Trafford ahead of the second day of our final home match in the 2025 season.
After yesterday’s washed out first day we are hoping for better today.
The groundstaff are busy mopping up and the covers have been removed so that the umpires can make an inspection at 10am.
SQUADS
The two teams have announced the following squads:
Lancashire
Luke Wells, Keaton Jennings, Josh Bohannon, George Bell, Harry Singh, Matty Hurst (wkt), Michael Jones, George Balderson, Arav Shetty, Tom Aspinwall, Jack Blatherwick, Tom Bailey, James Anderson (capt), Will Williams.
Mitch Stanley has been ruled out with a trunk injury sustained against Kent in the County Championship - which also caused him to miss Finals Day.
Tom Hartley is unavailable as he joins up with England for their IT20 series in Ireland - alongside Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Luke Wood.
Saqib Mahmood will miss the series after undergoing a minor procedure on his knee.
Middlesex
Leus du Plooy, Henry Brookes, Noah Cornwell, Joe Cracknell (wkt), Josh De Caires, Nathan Fernandes, Ben Geddes, Zafar Gohar, Ryan Higgins, Luke Hollman, Seb Morgan, Sam Robson, Toby Roland-Jones, Olly Stone.
Both Kane Williamson and Max Holden miss out due to injury.
