Hemp comes to Warwickshire's rescue

David Hemp bounced back to form with a majestic first Championship century of the season as Warwickshire restricted Middlesex to a first innings lead of just 22 at Edgbaston.

The former Glamorgan left-hander's place appeared to be under threat after a run of low scores but he complicated Warwickshire's selection, with Nick Knight due back from England duty this weekend, with a timely hundred.

Hemp's 175-ball century included 14 fours and a straight driven six off spinner Phil Tufnell and the quality of his strokes and timing were such that it was hard to imagine why he had struggled for runs in the first two months of the season.

He added one more four after he reached his century but faced only three more balls before he pushed Tufnell to Ben Hutton at silly point.

It was the 15th first-class century of Hemp's career and his ninth in six seasons with Warwickshire.

Dominic Ostler who took three consecutive fours off Tim Bloomfield on his way to an aggressive 44, helped Hemp add 70 for the fifth wicket and Ashley Giles then gave Hemp invaluable support in an eighth-wicket stand of 51.

Giles, the England spinner who was continuing his comeback from an Achilles tendon injury, prolonged Warwickshire's resistance with an intelligent unbeaten 40 and, aided by Melvyn Betts, he ensured that they scrambled a second batting point.

The impression was that both sides had thrown away too many wickets with careless batting in their first innings and the pitch, which offered a little encouragement to the seamers, was still full of runs.

Andrew Strauss launched Middlesex's second innings with a flurry of boundaries but his opening partner Mike Roseberry was forced to retire hurt with a mystery strain in the fourth over.

Strauss appeared to be on course for a half-century until he edged Dougie Brown to slip where Ostler held a blinding catch and Middlesex took no more risks as they closed on 81 for one, a lead of 103.