Hutton gives Middlesex hope

Middlesex 163 (Weekes 70, Carter 4-50, Bell 4-4) and 216 for 2 (Hutton 116*, Koenig 57) trail Warwickshire 608 for 7 dec by 229 runs
Scorecard

A century from Ben Hutton, his first of the season, regained some respectability for Middlesex after two poor days, but the rest of the side will need to bat every bit as well as Hutton tomorrow if they are to salvage anything from this match. By the close, Middlesex, following on, were 216 for 2, still 229 runs short of making Warwickshire bat again.

The day started brightly for Middlesex as Paul Weekes and David Nash extended their sixth-wicket partnership to 83 in the first hour and three-quarters with few alarms. But the introduction of Ian Bell at the Nursery End ended the recovery, in dramatic style.

In four overs he grabbed 4 for 4, breaking the stand rather fortunately when Nash was well caught for 29 by Dougie Brown via a deflection off Tony Frost, the wicketkeeper. Bell's next ball trapped Lance Klusener leg-before, and then in his fourth over he had Chris Peploe caught behind for 3 and Paul Hutchison bowled first ball. Nantie Hayward survived the hat-trick ball, but in the next over Weekes was caught on the cover boundary going for quick runs after a dogged 70.

Middlesex followed on 445 in arrears, and looked odds-on to lose inside three days. But Hutton and Sven Koenig looked as comfortable after lunch as they had seemed all at sea yesterday, adding 163 for the first wicket. Nick Knight, who could do nothing wrong on the first two days, began to look flustered, and switched bowlers with increasing desperation and regularity.

Mark Wagh finally broke through after tea, as Koenig pushed forward and the ball flew to Brown at silly mid-off, and in his next over Wagh had the hapless Owais Shah well held at slip by Brad Hogg for 3. Shah's captaincy on the first two days left onlookers less than impressed, and with three runs in his two innings, this is a match which he will be keen to forget in a hurry.

Hutton eased to his hundred in the final hour, and with Ed Joyce (20*) he saw Middlesex through to the close with no further alarms.

Warwickshire still remain favourites to win, and the weather is unlikely to come to Middlesex's aid - they certainly don't deserve it to. But they could escape. Mike Gatting said that this was typical Middlesex - "Get bowled out cheaply and then go on to score 500-odd and get a draw." He might just be right.