Franklin, Burns flourish in droll draw

It was a day when optimism got the better of everyone. By the end, there were some notes: Joe Burns registered his highest first class score in England - a composed 87. James Harris showed some nice touches with the bat to score his maiden first-class fifty for Middlesex. James Franklin backed up 135 in the first innings with an unbeaten 91 in the second. He was happy to put the team's needs ahead of his own. Another match at Uxbridge, another droll pitch - another draw. "I wanted to get our over-rate up and get out of here," Franklin concluded.

At the start of the day, the prospect of Joe Burns and Paul Sterling getting through the first hour and then adding considerably and stylishly to a Middlesex total that stood at 76 overnight. Both would then be heralded match-winners and cheered through the streets of Uxbridge in a parade that would culminate in front of the driving theory test centre. But that was not to be.

Then, when Moeen Ali bowled Paul Stirling through the gate, we were on the cusp of England's spinner ripping through the rest of the Middlesex line-up, before taking it upon himself to hammer the winnings runs. The critics, for now, would be silenced. This, too, failed to materialise: while he did bowl 28-overs in this innings, more than he has done in any Test or Championship match this summer, he got little assistance from the surface.

After a casual hit in the nets with Steve Rhodes yesterday afternoon, he had an even more relaxed hit when he came to the crease in the second over of Worcestershire's second innings to face some complimentary overs of spin from Ollie Rayner and Stirling.

Once they had clawed back the minus-four overrate, Nick Compton came into the attack with some offbreaks and Sam Robson took over from the pavilion end with spin that was more misery than mystery. Having been the recipient of three superb deliveries, Robson contributed 12 rancid ones of his own.

But the players were not to blame as this day that promised much turned into an admin exercise. Both teams did what they could to force and scrounge a result. Blame should be cast, with great force, at the pitch (where presumably the life would be sucked out of it). It was the wet-blanket of this affair; the neighbour puncturing your ball, the one who says the gig's too loud, the person who read BYOB and brought broccoli.

There was nothing in the pitch for seamer, spinner or even really batsman. John Simpson showed that even wicketkeeping was tough at times. Who knows, maybe one day cricket will develop that fifth suit that Uxbridge was intended for.

Franklin described it as "a tough pitch to play cricket on", while Worcestershire skipper Daryll Mitchell seemed at a loss to find an appropriate word. He eventually decided on "tough". His side benefitted most from what movement there was on the first morning when they reduced Middlesex to 51 for 4. All things considered, he was buoyed by the fight from his batting, singling out centurion Tom Fell, while also championing his bowling attack for being so frugal on an outfield so bare.

"It was pretty hard-fought, but to go at less than three-an-over was a pretty good effort. James Franklin batted brilliantly but unfortunately we couldn't knock them over second-time around to give us some sort of chase."

A pair of 103 run stands - the first between Burns and Franklin, the second between Franklin and Harris - saw Middlesex to safety. Burns fell short of his hundred when he directed a bumper from Jack Shantry straight to Joe Leach at deep-square leg. Leach took to the attack with the new ball and got Simpson to play on before trapping Rayner lbw.

The 12 points they take back to Worcester sees them jump to seventh, two points ahead of Hampshire and Nottinghamshire. In a match that boiled down to taking the positives, Worcestershire will have the most.