LIVE BLOG: Lancashire v Middlesex, Day Two
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6.54pm, CLOSE Day 2
Lancashire 2nd innings 45-3 (20 overs) lead by 77 runs, Stanley 2 Harris 1
That is the end of a long and eventful day, with every chance this game might be done tomorrow if wickets continue to fall at this rate.
Our reports and quotes will follow soon.
6.39pm
Lancashire 2nd innings 42-3 (16 overs) lead by 74 runs, Stanley 0 Harris 0
Make that three wickets for Middlesex and three for Ryan Harris as Josh Bohannon flashes an edge to Robson at second slip for 2.
The turnarounds in this game have been dramatic.
6.36pm
Lancashire 2nd innings 40-2 (15.2 overs) lead by 72 runs, Stanley 0 Bohannon 0
Middlesex have a second wicket as Keaton Jennings edges Ryan Higgins to Sam Robson at second slip for 18.
6.28pm
Lancashire 2nd innings 39-1 (14 overs) lead by 71 runs, Jennings 17 Stanley 0
George Balderson rather wafts at a Ryan Higgins delivery outside off and nicks to wicketkeeper Harry Duke for 15. Mitch Stanley comes in to be nightwatch.
6.15pm
Lancashire 2nd innings 29-0 (11 overs) lead by 61 runs, Balderson 15, Jennings 13
Keaton Jennings pulls a short ball from Naaya Sharma for four and later in the same over George Balderson hammers another four over the head of the man at point.
A good, positive start by Lancashire.
There are 8 overs left today.
6.00pm
Lancashire 2nd innings 11-0 (7 overs) lead by 43 runs, Balderson 7, Jennings 3
Steady progress so far in this second innings in gloomy conditions although George Balderson has just struck a nicely timed boundary off Toby Roland-Jones in the last over.
5.16pm TEA Day 2
Middlesex 1st innings 169 all out (43.2 overs) trail by 32 runs, Sharma 0
Toby Roland-Jones edges behind off George Balderson and that ends the Middlesex innings, so tea will be taken. Lancashire will have 20 overs to bat tonight.
5.05pm
Middlesex 1st innings 169-9 (42.3 overs) trail by 32 runs, Roland-Jones 0 Sharma 0
Two wickets in quick succession! Sebastian Morgan gloves a pull at Mitch Stanley that goes to Matty Hurst.
5.05pm
Middlesex 1st innings 169-8 (42 overs) trail by 32 runs, Morgan 15 Roland-Jones 0
The bowling change brings Lancashire reward and it's the big wicket of Leus du Plooy who edges George Balderson to Michael Jones at first slip for a very 67.
4.55pm
Middlesex 1st innings 164-7 (39 overs) trail by 37 runs, du Plooy 66 Morgan 13
Seb Morgan giving good support to du Plooy in a 40-run partnership, and Middlesex are steadily chipping away at their deficit.
Lancashire make a double bowling change with Mitch Stanley and George Balderson replace James Anderson and Tom Bailey.
4.35pm
Middlesex 1st innings 145-7 (35 overs) trail by 56 runs, du Plooy 59 Morgan 5
Leus du Plooy has gone to an excellent fifty off 69 balls during a trio of consecutive fours he hit off James Anderson.
4.15pm
Middlesex 1st innings 124-7 (30 overs) trail by 77 runs, du Plooy 42 Morgan 0
Zafar Gohar chips Tom Bailey to midwicket where Mitch Stanley takes a really good catch diving forward.
4.08pm
Middlesex 1st innings 119-6 (29 overs) trail by 82 runs, du Plooy 42 Gohar 0
James Anderson has a fourth wicket, Harry Duke edges behind to give Matty Hurst his 100th first-class victim.
4.00pm
Middlesex 1st innings 116-5 (26 overs) trail by 85 runs, du Plooy 39 Duke 3
James Anderson and Tom Bailey are sharing the bowling duties as play starts once more. Overhead conditions are quite bright with the cloud cover very high so hopefully we should get a fair amount of cricket played.
3.40pm
Middlesex 1st innings 116-5 (26 overs) trail by 85 runs, du Plooy 39 Duke 3
Good news - we are going to restart play at 4pm with 38 overs left. Tea will be at 5.15pm.
2.40pm RAIN DELAY
Middlesex 1st innings 116-5 (26 overs) trail by 85 runs, du Plooy 39 Duke 3
Just as play was about to resume, more rain has arrived and the covers are back in place on the square.
2.15pm PLAY TO RESTART
Middlesex 1st innings 116-5 (26 overs) trail by 85 runs, du Plooy 39 Duke 3
Good news - play will restart at 2.40pm with 60 overs to be bowled. Tea will be at 4.35pm.
2.00pm GROUND DELAY
Middlesex 1st innings 116-5 (26 overs) trail by 85 runs, du Plooy 39 Duke 3
We have sunny conditions as the groundstaff begin to remove the covers and mop up after that lunchtime downpour.
No official word yet about any restart. The umpires have made a preliminary inspection but have left the groundstaff to get on with their work before they return for a further look at conditions.
12.45pm LUNCH Day 2
Middlesex 1st innings 116-5 (26 overs) du Plooy 39 Duke 3
An early lunch has been called with play due to restart at 1.25pm, but looking at the amount of rain that has fallen and with the covers still in place, that restart time looks unlikely.
12.20pm BAD LIGHT DELAY
Middlesex 1st innings 116-5 (26 overs) du Plooy 39 Duke 3
It has gone very dark, even with the floodlights on, and the players are coming off.
There's a good chance this might be the only play before lunch, as it has just started to rain.
Overall that has been a satisfactory morning for Lancashire with three wickets taken.
11.53am
Middlesex 1st innings 108-5 (23.3 overs) du Plooy 34 Duke 0
George Balderson comes into the attack and is hit for 4 and 6 by Ryan Higgins who then tries to go big off Balderson's third delivery but skies it to mid-on where Jimmy Anderson takes a really well-judged catch running back.
11.53am
Middlesex 1st innings 86-4 (21 overs) du Plooy 25 Higgins 19
Ouch! Ryan Higgins is wringing his right hand after being wrapped on the glove by a sharply rising delivery from Mitch Stanley. He's okay to carry on after a change of gloves.
11.30am
Middlesex 1st innings 64-4 (15.3 overs) du Plooy 17 Higgins 0
Tom Bailey strikes trapping Caleb Falconer lbw for 11 on his Championship debut.
11.20am
Middlesex 1st innings 54-3 (14 overs) du Plooy 17 Falconer 6
A big appeal by Tom Bailey goes unrewarded as Lancashire try and crank up the pressure.
11.00am
Middlesex 1st innings 39-3 (10.1 overs) du Plooy 12 Falconer 0
What a start! Jimmy Anderson gets a caught and bowled with his first delivery! Ben Geddes out for 12.
Anderson bowling to five slips.
10.45am
Now an update to the hours of play. We will play 100 overs today, with lunch at 1pm and tea at 3.45pm. Close of play is 6.18pm.
10.00am TEAM CHANGE
Some news from Middlesex this morning who have been forced into making a change after wicketkeepeer Joe Cracknell suffered a finger injury yesterday.
He has been removed from the remainder of this game and been replaced by Harry Duke who has joined Middlesex on loan this morning for the next two weeks.
9.30am
We have bright, sunny conditions at Emirates Old Trafford ahead of day two of this Rothesay County Championship match.
With the first day curtailed early, we have a minimum of 104 overs to be bowled today - weather permitting - with Middlesex resuming their first innings on 38-2, trailing by 163 runs when play starts at 11am.
Lunch today is at 1.10pm, with tea at 4pm.
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