County Championship: Middlesex build lead against Leicestershire

Sam Robson and Leus du Plooy shared a Middlesex record third-wicket stand against Leicestershire of 252 to put the home side in control of their County Championship clash at Lord’s.

Robson marked his return from a thumb injury by top-scoring with 162, while du Plooy struck 131 from 191 balls – his second century since moving from Derbyshire over the winter – to help the host reach 407-8.

That amounted to a first-innings lead of 101, with a quartet of bowlers – Ben Mike, Scott Currie, Ben Green and Rehan Ahmed – all picking up two wickets for the Foxes.

However, with the first day washed out entirely and a gloomy weather forecast for Monday, a draw looks the most probable outcome in this Division Two game.

With one wicket falling on the previous evening, Leicestershire doubled that tally in the first over of the day as Max Holden drove outside off stump at Currie and was taken low at slip without increasing his overnight score of 26.

However, that proved to be the visitors’ solitary success of the morning session as Robson and du Plooy accumulated runs steadily.

Middlesex upped the tempo after lunch and Robson won the race with his partner to three figures, driving Scriven through midwicket for three.

Scriven, who got the ball to swing from the Nursery End, was unlucky to remain wicketless – persuading du Plooy to edge to Peter Handscomb at leg slip but the ex-Middlesex skipper was unable to hang on.

Still 16 short of his hundred at the time, Du Plooy took advantage of that let-off to complete a ton and the second new ball actually proved fruitful for the batters, who soon accelerated beyond Leicestershire’s total of 306.

However, the Foxes bowlers made inroads during the final session.

Du Plooy feathered one behind and Ryan Higgins was bowled swinging at Green, who ended Robson’s six-hour stay at the crease.

Nathan Fernandes made a pugnacious 25-ball 31 and Toby Roland-Jones also perished in pursuit of quick runs prior to bad light intervening.