Saif Zaib sparkles again as Northants build strong reply

Saif Zaib resumed his rich vein of Rothesay County Championship form by passing 50 for the fourth time in as many red-ball innings to spearhead Northamptonshire's recovery against Middlesex at Wantage Road.

Despite Luke Procter's knock of 62, the home side were under pressure at 132 for 4 when Zaib arrived at the crease, but the left-hander struck an unbeaten 83 to guide them to 308 for 5 at stumps. Spinner Zafar Gohar prised out four of Northamptonshire's top five before Zaib and Lewis McManus, who finished 55 not out, guided their side towards a position of parity with an unbroken partnership of 111.

Middlesex had earlier posted 413, with overnight centurion Joe Cracknell dismissed for 112 as left-arm seamer Liam Guthrie registered career-best figures of 7 for 94.

Beginning the day just three runs short of a fourth batting bonus point, Middlesex quickly secured that when Toby Roland-Jones hooked Procter to the boundary - and a fifth even looked within the realm of possibility. Those hopes were dashed when Calvin Harrison pouched an outstanding one-handed catch at point, leaping to his right to cut off Cracknell's robust drive and Lloyd Pope's maiden Championship wicket in the next over castled Tom Helm to end the visitors' innings.

Northamptonshire started well in reply, with Procter dispatching both Roland-Jones and Helm to the fence as he and Ricardo Vasconcelos - who looked scratchy at the outset - built an opening stand of 69. The visitors tried a range of tactics without success, including the deployment of a heavily leg-side field for Ryan Higgins that included four men clustered around midwicket at one stage.

It was Gohar who eventually stifled Northamptonshire's progress, switching ends prior to lunch and immediately tempting Vasconcelos to sweep him straight into the hands of deep square leg.

Promoted to three in the batting order, Harrison looked lively as he thumped Helm over midwicket for six, but Middlesex's spinners soon established control and captured three further wickets during the afternoon.

Harrison was caught behind off an inside edge, playing back to Gohar, while Luke Hollman struck with his fourth delivery, deceiving James Sales with flight and hitting him on the toe to secure a leg before decision. Procter, who completed his fifth half-century of the campaign, proved harder to dislodge but the captain was neatly snapped up at short leg off Gohar to leave Northamptonshire in some difficulty.

Displaying a tendency to play the spinners late, Tim Robinson began their fightback in tandem with Zaib, though a dreadful mix-up between the pair should have seen the New Zealander run out but for Leus du Plooy's fumble in the field.

Robinson, signed on a short-term deal at Wantage Road, looked on course to mark his debut with a half-century, advancing to 43 before he was harshly given out leg before attempting to sweep Gohar.

However, Zaib maintained his side's momentum, striking the ball cleanly on both sides of the wicket and passing 5000 runs across all formats for Northamptonshire en route to his half-century from 87 balls. McManus weighed in with a string of attacking strokes, cutting Gohar for two to post his fourth 50 of the season and take the partnership beyond three figures shortly before the close.