Middlesex seamers flatten Essex

Essex 215 and 115 v Middlesex 277
Scorecard

It took one month and five attempts last season for Middlesex to win a Championship match but after 20 wickets fell in 92.1 overs at Lord's they will, barring a bizarre occurrence, have victory sealed against Essex in just over two days.

Though the scorecard will excite the ECB's eager pitch inspection team, the problems for Essex lay more overhead than underfoot as heavy skies brought enough swing to deliver 13 of the 20 scalps caught behind the wicket.

How Alastair Cook must be longing for the help-yourself ease of Ashes cricket. The cauldron of Division Two has given him a chastening start to the season. His previous Championship outing this season, against Kent, brought just 37 runs, but at least that was spread over three days. Here he fell for 19 in the 13th over of the day and 25 barely a couple of hours later as Middlesex's bowlers routed Essex for 115 shortly after lunch and again for 215 just before the day was out.

Ravi Bopara deserves reward after turning down an IPL fortune for a chance to impress the Test selectors but after 56 runs from four outings his case might have been better served feasting on 20-over attacks. A forlorn Bopara tweeted his explanation: "No heavy rollers & tiflex balls is a recipe for low scores. Crap cricket!" But that might not be enough to convince Andy Flower. Twice Bopara fell to another fringe England player looking to impress: Steven Finn.

Finn was the classiest of Middlesex's seam showing and from his favourite Pavilion End bowled quicker than anyone in the match. His journey to the ground had been delayed by traffic but Tim Murtagh ensured Essex were immediately in trouble with two wickets in his opening spell.

Corey Collymore, on his Championship debut for Middlesex after moving from Sussex, proved what a shrewd signing he was from the Nursery End. Open-chested medium-pace from a 33-year-old international reject might not sound the best advert for county cricket but his consistent, snaking swing was nothing short of compelling. Having had Cook dropped in the slips he trapped him playing around his front pad for the third wicket of the day. Matthew Walker was sent back a ball later for a duck and at 57 for 4 a bad day was looming for Essex.

Their one hope was Bopara but Finn, admittedly with some fortune, won that battle. Bopara was pinned high enough on the pad to benefit from the doubt but umpire Martin Bodenham, an ex football referee, sent him on his way. Bopara was less than delighted, but you imagine Bodenham has seen worse. Some extra bounce from Finn did in James Foster, and the tail followed suit.

Second time round, the sun finally poked through briefly, and while Cook and Jaik Mickleburgh were building a 58-run stand, a fight at least seemed possible. But Finn again intervened to hasten the next collapse. Cook shovelled a length ball down the pitch and Finn, who'd revived his habit of falling over in his follow through earlier in the spell, this time tumbled to good effect, scooping the ball inches from the turf.

If there was some doubt about Bopara's first-innings dismissal the second of the day was more decisive, edging a sharp outswinger to first slip for 4. Finn looked set for more but Gareth Berg instead claimed four wickets in five overs either side of tea as Essex limply gave way. The first, Matt Walker, was brilliantly taken on the rebound by John Simpson after Ollie Rayner parried the chance at slip, the next three offered more routine catching practice.

Apparently there's a wedding reception planned at Lord's on Saturday. Thankfully, Tom Westley's 59, the highest score of the match, ensured the happy couple will see some action but with just 54 needed for Middlesex they better arrive early.