Zaib, Keogh battle in vain as Middlesex close out innings win

Middlesex's bowlers wore down heroic Northamptonshire resistance to close out an emphatic victory by an innings and 107 runs deep into the final session of day four at Merchant Taylors' School.

Rob Keogh defied the hosts attack for almost five hours despite being struck for a second time on the finger he damaged while fielding on day one to make a gutsy unbeaten 61, while Saif Zaib also battled through pain to add 44 to his 82 of the first innings.

There was even a last-wicket stand of 47 between Keogh and Yuzvendra Chahal to further frustrate the Seaxes, but in the end 3-54 for Ryan Higgins (seven in the match) and a maiden first-class wicket for Ben Geddes bowled out the visitors for 257.

Northamptonshire's hopes of frustrating the host's victory push were dealt an early blow when Lewis McManus, having played one delicious extra cover drive tried to leave a ball from Roland-Jones, only for it to cannon off the under edge and send his off stump cartwheeling.

One wicket became two in the next over, Tom Helm beating George Bartlett twice in successive balls before banging in a short one which the batter skied obligingly to Roland-Jones at mid-on.

Much now rested on the shoulders of all-rounders Zaib and Keogh. Zaib picked up where he'd left off in the first innings, a late cut to third and a glorious drive back past Noah Cornwell taking him into the 20s

Keogh meanwhile took 18 balls to get off the mark and was then struck on his already damaged digit by a ball from Higgins. He carried on after lengthy treatment and collected four with a flick to fine leg.

The physio was back on soon afterwards, this time for Zaib, struck on the funny bone by a short one from Cornwell. A lengthier stoppage ensued before he too soldiered on, defying the pain to send successive Cornwell deliveries to the fence as the 50-partnership came up shortly before lunch.

Deprived of spinner Zafar Gohar due to the arm injury picked up fielding on day three and with a soft Kookaburra ball offering no help to the Middlesex seamers, the stoic resistance of the Steelbacks continued on the resumption.

However, as frustration looked to be setting in, Helm found some extra bounce and Zaib feathered an edge through to Joe Cracknell.

Dom Leach tarried briefly, edging a couple of fours to third before Cornwell bowled him around his legs.

Still the defiance continued with Ben Sanderson on a pair from the first innings battling for over an hour for his 12 and guiding Northamptonshire to the sanctuary of tea.

With the new ball imminent, Geddes was introduced to speed up its arrival and promptly found the edge of Sanderson's bat with his third ball, Higgins taking a smart catch at slip.

Higgins took the ripe cherry in hand to remove Guthrie, before an entertaining last-wicket stand.

Keogh deep into his fifth hour at the crease, all of them in pain unfurled a shot or two, twice clipping Helm to the square leg fence before driving Cornwell through mid-wicket to reach a thoroughly deserved half-century.

Chahal, on a king pair played a glorious off-drive and a few other less conventional shots to reach 20, but Cornwell rearranged his stumps to clinch victory with 25 overs left.