Wagh's mammoth 315 gives Warwickshire draw with Middlesex

A record-breaking 315 by Warwickshire's Mark Wagh was the highlight of a draw against Middlesex in this promotion battle at Lord's.

In a match of new faces and high scores an unlikely result looked possible with Middlesex 90 for four at tea with 34 overs remaining. They ended at 167 for six with the pitch the only winner in a game of 1 300 runs and 22 wickets.

Wagh was on the field for all but one over of the match, bowling 33 overs in the first innings and another 18 in the second. He came in at 6 for one and saw Warwickshire through to 631 for nine declared, a first innings lead of 129.

Wagh was unaware of the records that lay ahead when he resumed in the morning at 266. His score was equal to Percy Holmes' 315 and one behind Jack Hobbs' 1926 championship record at Lord's.

The 449-ball epic was the second highest for Warwickshire behind Brian Lara's unsurpassable 501 not out. Graham Gooch's 333 for England against India in 1990 remains the best at HQ.

"It was a relatively flat wicket," the 24-year-old told CricInfo. Unsurprisingly, the Oxford University psychology graduate was "absolutely knackered" when he finally left the field at 5.30pm.

His patience and wristy timing finally went awry when he was caught at midwicket by Jamie Dalrymple off Tim Bloomfield whose three for 111 were the best figures of the match.

Only Middlesex's Stephen Fleming came close to match Wagh's powers of concentration, adding 65 to his first innings 102. A final scare came when Fleming gloved a sweep to Warwickshire captain Mike Powell at short backward point.

Guess who the bowler was?