Middlesex close in after late wickets

Warwickshire 172 and 74 for 3 need a further 264 to beat Middlesex 242 and 267 for 7 dec (Robson 74, Eskinazi 53)
Scorecard

Middlesex will begin the final day against Warwickshire at Edgbaston needing seven wickets to take a huge stride towards lifting their first Championship title for 23 years.

While nearest challengers Yorkshire were held up by the weather in Southampton, up in Birmingham Middlesex advanced to a position from which they would be devastated not to close out victory. Warwickshire closed the third day on 74 for 3 in pursuit of the target of 338 set by the Division One leaders when they declared their second innings at 267 for 7 at tea.

Half-centuries from Sam Robson and Stevie Eskinazi underpinned Middlesex's batting, which was largely unhurried despite the possibility of rain taking time out of the final day.

They have backed their bowlers to feed again upon the fragility evident in Warwickshire's first-innings batting when their last eight wickets disappeared for 50 runs. Those bowlers duly removed the top three - Varun Chopra, Ian Westwood and Jonathan Trott - before the close to leave Warwickshire requiring a massive salvage operation in which they will look to captain Ian Bell, unbeaten on 12 overnight, for the backbone.

Resuming on the third morning on 61 without loss, Middlesex lost two quick wickets as Nick Gubbins (46) fell lbw to Jeetan Patel and Nick Compton's middle-stump was plucked out by Keith Barker. Dawid Malan edged Patel to wicketkeeper Alex Mellor but Robson and Eskinazi batted in measured fashion to add 97 in 33.4 overs before, with tea looming, a belated attempt to increase the tempo brought a flurry of wickets for the spinners.

Robson swept Patel to deep square-leg and Eskinazi was bowled by Josh Poysden, who also castled Toby Roland-Jones and had James Franklin caught at deep gully. The young legspinner finished with 3 for 80 for match-figures of 8 for 133.

Chasing 338 in a day and a session, Warwickshire soon lost Chopra who edged Roland-Jones to Robson at slip. On a used pitch which has assisted spinners throughout, the slower bowlers were soon operating and both quickly struck. Ravi Patel's 19th ball trapped Trott lbw and Rayner won a leg-before against Westwood to acquire his sixth wicket of the match.

Bell and nightwatchman Chris Wright saw it through to the close but Middlesex left the field knowing they have done most of the hard work towards a huge victory.