Gubbins and Eskinazi revel in their overdue catch-up

Middlesex 419 for 5 (Gubbins 201*, Eskinazi 106) trail Lancashire 513 by 78 runs
Scorecard

Today was about a tale of Nick Gubbins and Stevie Eskinazi - two who have made their way up the youth ranks at Middlesex together and spent the best part of their Tuesday creating the sorts of memories that best friends never tire of reliving. Gubbins will no doubt lead the reminiscing: a double hundred to savour as he led his side out of Lancashire's huge first innings shadow. But Eskinazi, as he did today, will interject with his side of the story - an accomplished maiden first class century in his second match in the format.

Together, they put on 208 in 361 balls for the third wicket, their time in the middle a welcome treat for Middlesex and Gubbins: "It's probably the most time I've spent with Eski since he got a girlfriend. It was nice that he took time out of his day to spend it with me."

Ah, Gubbins, the proto-Strauss starting to enhance his own name. For many Middlesex fans, the Gubbins-Strauss comparison is tiresome. While the similarities are evident and valid - Radley College alumni, a carbon copy game square of the wicket, identical slack jaw smile and general clumsiness - the annoyance for them is that some use the comparison to extrapolate what Gubbins might achieve rather than lauding what he is achieving right now.

At 22 years of age, he has a Division One double hundred at Lord's. That's now two centuries and, at the time of walking off when bad light stopped play after tea, 570 runs in his first full season of Championship cricket. Only Sam Robson has enjoyed a more fruitful red ball summer than him. In case you were wondering, Strauss was 34 when he made it past 200 for the first time.

His time at the crease is approaching eight hours, having begun this innings 12 overs before lunch on day two. Starting again on 71 on the third morning, he made the most of Kyle Jarvis' pace on the ball to drive across a fast outfield. He waited for the bad balls, sure, but he also scored off the good deliveries, too: soft hands guiding any balls that left him to third man and firm wrists pushing anything at him into midwicket and mid on. It was only when he went from 89 to 95 in one strike that trepidation entered his game.

Scores in the nineties hang over any batsmen: each a sizeable nugget in your conscience that reminds of you of opportunities missed. Comparable to the person at the bar you couldn't summon the courage to talk to or that spare ticket you fobbed off to what turned out to be the gig of a lifetime. Or that time you were on a flat one at Lord's and failed to make it count. And Gubbins had three of them before breaching three figures for the first time against Somerset in his previous match at Lord's. He very nearly added a fourth.

On 96 and looking to cut into a vacant backward point, he edged Jordan Clark to Steven Croft, only for the Lancashire skipper to shell what would have been a smart, diving take to his left. After some calming words from Eskinazi, he decided to get there in singles.

There was no such hesitancy in the 190s which he admitted were "a bit of a blur", aided by a nick through third man and then a powerful pull shot off Jarvis which pinged off the advertising boards of the Grandstand. When Eskinazi was asked what his hundred felt like, he used up most of his time lauding the feat of Gubbins' double.

When they weren't singing each other's praises, they were joshing - Gubbins scoffing at Eskinazi's assertion that he was "as British as my friend Nick Gubbins"; Eskinazi at Gubbins' insistence that the slog sweep for six to take him to three figures was "pretty rogue".

At lunch, Eskinazi, on 91, had an inbox full of encouragement from his friends and family. As joke, he messaged his brother to ask whether or not he should sweep the leg-spinner, Matt Parkinson, for six to bring up his 100. "Absolutely not, not a chance, please don't!" came the reply from brother, mum, dad, three uncles and two cousins. When he eventually departed for 106, edging Kyle Jarvis to Tom Smith at second slip, came the follow-up texts: "You absolutely cowboy!"

This is Eskinazi's fourth year at the club and is three years away from qualifying fully for England. Born in Johannesburg, raised in Western Australia where he turned out for the state's Under-17 and 19 sides, while also spending 10 years in England as a kid (his mother was born here). As a wicket-keeper batsman, his first team opportunities had been limited, but he was never far from the lips of the Middlesex members.

Like most diehard county fans, any lament of an underperforming first XI brings a stream of 2nd XI names that should be given a chance to do better. In the last few years, Adam Rossington and Andy Balbirnie were names that have echoed around the ground or off the metal finished bar of the Tavern pub: players who have wiped the floor with 2nd XI attacks but whose opportunities further up were limited. Both have moved on. Last season, "Stevie Eskinazi" began to make an appearance as words of "outstanding knocks for the 2s" or "big runs for Stanmore" spread like fantasy folklore. On this day, you saw it for yourself.

He could not have asked for a better pitch for only his third first-class knock. Even so, every defensive shot came out of the middle, as he lined up behind every full or short ball. Near the end of the morning session, Lancashire looked to prey on any nerves he might have while Eskinazi was on his maiden first class voyage in the nineties. Parkinson bowled around the wicket into the right-armers footmarks at the Pavilion End, with a two slips and a leg slip for company. He ignored it all, leaving a handful of deliveries across him and pushing the ball out in front before waiting for his mate to go for lunch.

Like all Bromance movies, there is a key message here: Middlesex's investment in youth is starting to pay dividends. While previously it had been senior men steered the team out of trouble, here were two 22-year-olds doing so with all the comfort of a long overdue catch-up.

In keeping, Lancashire looked very much like patrons unable to get on with their own plans over the raucous bonhomie on the next table. But rather than lose their will and ask to be moved, they got on with matters. A mini-collapse of 42 for 3 with the new ball brought them some relief.

A fourth Lord's stalemate is in the offing. For all the revelry of the regulars, Lancashire can take solace from the fact that they don't come here often.