County Championship: Middlesex beat Northants to stay second

Toby Roland-Jones took 11 wickets in the match as Middlesex beat Northamptonshire by eight wickets to move second in the County Championship Division Two table.

The 36-year-old Middlesex skipper added to his 5-49 from the first innings with 6-58 as Northamptonshire were dismissed soon after tea on the final day for 167.

This left Middlesex 111 to win in a minimum of 25 overs and Sam Robson’s second half-century of the match ensured they got there with some comfort at Merchant Taylors’ School.

Earlier in the day, Middlesex lost their last three wickets for 14 runs to be bowled out for 264 in their first innings, Leus Du Plooy making 71 and Ben Sanderson taking 6-64.

With their lead only 57, Middlesex needed quick wickets and Roland-Jones obliged, removing Ricardo Vasconcelos lbw for two.

Emilio Gay was pinned in front by Tom Helm with Northamptonshire still 20 in arrears.

Luke Procter survived a vociferous lbw shout from Roland-Jones but just when it seemed he and George Bartlett had drawn the sting from the Middlesex attack, the latter hit Henry Brookes straight to point.

Roland Jones trapped Procter on the crease soon afterwards and followed that by castling Prithvi Shaw who, hampered by a finger injury sustained when fielding, was batting at six.

Helm had Rob Keogh caught at slip by which time Northamptonshire had slipped to 104-6.

Lewis McManus and Justin Broad used up 81 balls and added 38 runs for the seventh wicket.

But Roland-Jones snared McManus with the last ball before tea, completed a 10-wicket match haul after the resumption when he pinned Dominic Leech in front and then had Broad caught behind for 30.

Despite the small target, Sanderson remained a thorn in Middlesex’s side, trapping Mark Stoneman lbw before bowling Max Holden.

]But Robson (64 not out) and Du Plooy (22no) saw Middlesex coast home.