Notts face uphill battle after Middlesex enforce follow-on

A wretched last two sessions for Nottinghamshire left them 167 runs behind Middlesex on first innings and facing an uphill battle to avoid defeat after Justin Langer enforced the follow-on.

In the opening 35 minutes of the second day's play Notts captured the last two Middlesex wickets but soon last both openers themselves - Welton for 8 and Bicknell for 4.

Jason Gallian and Usman Afzaal then both batted impressively before lunch but fell straight after, when in sight of half-centuries. The only man to go on and reach 50 was Chris Tolley - passing the landmark for only the second time this season.

Dropped twice before tea, tolley had another life on 42. Edging Johnson to second slip he would have been as amazed as anybody when Mark Ramprakash squandered the invitation. The England discard would have still had burning fingers (and ears) when Johnson induced another edge, this time off AJ Harris. Ramps' celebrated with his team-mates as Notts sank to 211-8.

Tolley's half century came off 114 balls with 9 boundaries but with only the tail for comapny he tried to up the tempo and fell sweeping to Tufnell for a season-high 60.

In an entertaining little cameo David Lucas reached double figures but last man Matt Whiley hadn't made a run in either of his two previous first class games and he was still looking to get off the mark when he edged simon Cook to Mike Roseberry at third slip. Notts had been bowled out for 245, with Fraser, Johnson and Tufnell all picking up three wickets.

Asked to bat again for an awkward ten over session both Bicknell and Welton profited by playing in the 'v' against Fraser. Bicknell straight drove for 3 in the first over and then his younger partner three times hit down the ground. Richard Johnson, from the Pavilion End, began with three maidens before Bicknell crisply clipped him through midwicket. Both batsmen will have a lot to do on the third morning.