RESULT
Group 2, Northwood, July 11 - 14, 2021, County Championship
324 & 196
(T:293) 228 & 171

Middlesex won by 121 runs

Report

Tim Murtagh leads the charge as Middlesex win their basement battle

Leicestershire bowled out for 171 as hosts win second Championship match of season

Tim Murtagh chipped away at Leicestershire's batting  •  Getty Images

Tim Murtagh chipped away at Leicestershire's batting  •  Getty Images

Middlesex 324 (Robson 154, Davis 5-66) and 196 (Eskinazi 66*, Parkinson 4-35) beat Leicestershire 228 (Ackermann 82, Inglis 49) and 171 (Inglis 52, Harris 46, Murtagh 4-36) by 121 runs
Acting captain Tim Murtagh led the charge for wickets as Middlesex claimed just a second LV= Insurance County Championship win of the season against Leicestershire at Merchant Taylors' School.
The old warhorse took 4 for 36 before limping away from the action just prior to the 121-run win being secured, Leicestershire coming up well short in their pursuit of 293, despite 52 from British-born Australian Josh Inglis.
James Harris weighed in with 3 for 50 in the success, this after Stevie Eskinazi made 66 in the hosts' second innings of 196, Callum Parkinson taking 4 for 35.
Both sides will play in Division Three when the Championship resumes on August Bank Holiday Monday.
Middlesex's second innings folded quickly on the final morning thanks to three wickets in as many overs for Parkinson.
Nathan Sowter spooned the third ball of the day into the hands of mid-on before the slow left-armer struck twice in three balls to remove Ethan Bamber and Murtagh.
Leicestershire's chase got off to a terrible start when Murtagh bowled Sam Evans for 0, but Marcus Harris, who'd made 185 against the hosts during a successful run chase in the reverse fixture in May, hit five boundaries to send the visitors into lunch 63 for 1.
Middlesex though wrestled back control after the resumption. Harris got one to lift from a length, take the shoulder of Lewis Hill's bat and balloon to Josh De Caires at gully, while Sowter got the prize wicket of Harris for 46 with a peach of a leg-spinner which bowled him through the gate.
Skipper Colin Ackermann also didn't last long, Murtagh finding the edge of the Foxes' skipper's bat to give Robbie White a simple catch.
Dangers still lurked in the shape of Inglis and in-form wicketkeeper/batsman Harry Swindells. but the latter drove loosely at Bamber and was snaffled by Joe Cracknell at first slip.
Inglis though, dropped by Sam Robson at slip on 33, fought hard to reach a first Championship 50 in 79 balls with his seventh four, but Murtagh returned to end his resistance with an out-swinger edged to a diving White, and Parkinson followed next ball bowled by an in-swinger which plucked out middle stump.
Ed Barnes prevented the hat-trick and Murtagh limped off soon afterwards with what appeared to be a calf problem, but Harris picked up the baton as Middlesex mopped up the tail.

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County Championship

Division 1
TEAMMWLDPT
WARKS421177
LANCS421173.5
NOTTS431073
HANTS421161.5
YORKS412144.5
SOM404032.5
Division 2
TEAMMWLDPT
ESSEX430196
GLOUC431076
DURH311144
NHNTS412154
SURR301240
GLAM403134.5
Division 3
TEAMMWLDPT
KENT440094
MIDDX431080
WORCS422067.5
LEICS412154.5
DERBS412151.5
SUSS404030
Group 1
TEAMMWLDPT
NOTTS10424151
WARKS10415145
DURH10325132
ESSEX10325129
WORCS10136109
DERBS1005572
Group 2
TEAMMWLDPT
SOM10415148
HANTS10424145
GLOUC10532131
SURR10226123
LEICS10244111
MIDDX1027184
Group 3
TEAMMWLDPT
LANCS10415150
YORKS10514149
GLAM10226127
NHNTS10334123
KENT1003797
SUSS1015494