Udal 91 drives Middlesex to 300

Worcestershire 9 for 0 trail Middlesex 300 (Udal 91, Joyce 46, Murtagh 44, Scott 41, Ali 5-58) by 291 runs
Scorecard

Shaun Udal's fine innings restored some respectability to Middlesex's total in a vital 105-run stand with Tim Murtagh which left Worcestershire a touch frustrated at Lord's having had them 61 for 4. Whether their total of 300 is a good one remains to be seen on a blameless track though under swinging conditions, however it is safe to say that the lower order showed much more spunk than the top three, with Udal's knock (his highest score in 11 years) shining out, and that Kabir Ali deserved his five wickets.

Udal's can-do approach resuscitated Middlesex, bringing some much-needed heart in partnership with Murtagh, to show just what some positivity could do. He began with a drive through cover off Imran Arif, all the while hitting the ball cleanly and wasn't shy of taking advantage of the short offerings from Gareth Andrew, working him square and straight.

The best was a huge six over midwicket off Gareth Batty, having earlier also deposited Arif into the stands. Murtagh joined in with some clean hitting but also a few edges, and was even dropped on 35 at short leg, much to Batty's consternation. Their hundred partnership came up from 129 balls but Batty closed in soon after, Murtagh popping an edge up off a sweep to Graeme Hick in the slips.

Udal carried on entertaining. Having played with such spirit, it was only fitting that Udal went down shooting, hooking it straight up to be finally taken Stephen Davies. The consistent Ali finally claimed him with a second first-class hundred in sight - the bowler having troubled him also with his first ball - to end a much-merited knock. He walked off to sustained cheers. At this stage his side were 291 for 9 and they went on to bring up a psychological mark in reaching 300 when Steven Finn finally holed out.

Ed Joyce had started the vibe despite the doldrums Middlesex were in at 61 for 4, as he and Ben Scott began to smooth out the rocky foundations. He had a life on 34, a hook edged up to long leg where Arif put down a catch he approached so casually you expected him to have unfolded a deckchair and whipped out an ice cream, too. He certainly had enough time.

Just to rub it in, Joyce drove Arif square through point to bring up Middlesex's hundred. When Joyce fell on 46, run out by Stephen Moore's long throw from the deep, Udal proved the bubbling catalyst while Scott was more dogged, prising out on-drives here and there on his way to 41.

The top order, meanwhile, will have to admit they failed in the face of a first-day deck with no terrors. Joyce leapt at the chance to bat in the sun, but the clouds came instantly and so did the wickets - soon they were 19 for 3, the top order undone by full-pitched swing. The gremlins, it seems, were tricks of the mind once they were bogged down by the bowling of the leading pace pairing of Ali and Matt Mason. Worcestershire could have done with Simon Jones, too, but he was rested.

The bowlers' consistent lines and lengths quickly brought dividends. Nick Compton could only manage a single from 23 painful balls before the naggingly accurate Mason trapped him in front as he pushed forward. Compton now averages 3.20 from his five innings this year, while Dawid Malan, who has been succeeding in the first team, has had a taste of failure recently after not passing 16 in his last three first-class knocks.

He reached 12 today when he fell to a very good catch, Davies diving across the slips to snap low to the left, Ali taking the first of five victims. The bowler struck again when Owais Shah played down the wrong line on 1, and later Murali Karthik was caught at mid on.

Eoin Morgan had two shouts turned down against him, one for lbw off Mason on 5, then on 9 there was an appeal for a caught behind off Andrew, who finally dismissed him that way with a good-length ball which moved up the hill and took a thick snick.

Worcestershire's opening pair then weathered the closing overs, leaving the stage set for some interesting play tomorrow.