Rogers, Dexter see Middlesex home

Middlesex maintained their County Championship push by banking 23 Division Two points after wrapping up a seven-wicket win over Derbyshire at Lord's. Chasing only 91 for their sixth win of the campaign on the final day, Middlesex suffered three early scares before marching home to victory with 74 overs to spare, courtesy of an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 66 between Chris Rogers and Neil Dexter.

With such a small target ahead of them, Middlesex set out on the final morning with forceful intent, only to pay the price by losing in-form openers Sam Robson and Scott Newman in the space of six overs. Both fell to the swing bowling of Tony Palladino who, with his third ball of the day, had Robson (one) caught in the gully by Wayne Madsen off a miscued back-foot force.

With his score on 9, left-handed Newman then padded up to a Palladino in-swinger to go leg before without playing a stroke for the second time in the match to make it 18 for 2. The home demise continue when Dawid Malan, fresh from a career-best 143 in the first innings, aimed a back-foot force against a lifting delivery from Tim Groenewald only to edge a catch through to the wicketkeeper Luke Sutton.

Derbyshire's former captain Rogers then teamed up with his new Middlesex skipper Dexter to ease tension amongst a smattering of home supporters by seeing their side to the winning line half-an-hour before lunch. Rogers hit the winning boundary against spinner Greg Smith to finish on 46 from 55 balls, leaving Dexter unbeaten on 29 from 36 deliveries at the other end.

Derbyshire, generally out-gunned with the ball and underachieving with the bat, travelled home with four points.