County Championship: Middlesex’ Higgins reaches 1,000 runs

Centurion Ryan Higgins reached 1,000 runs in the County Championship as Middlesex batted themselves to an almost certain draw against promotion rivals Yorkshire on day three at Headingley.

Unbeaten all-rounder Higgins top-scored with 117 in Middlesex’s 441-5 as they replied to Yorkshire’s first-innings 601-6 declared.

Higgins posted his fifth hundred of the Division Two campaign, in his 10th appearance, and was joined in posting a century by opener Sam Robson (108).

Robson started day three on 65 and he went on to record the 35th first-class century of an impressive career on the ground where he scored his only Test ton for England 10 years ago.

Having been trapped lbw defending against Dom Bess, Robson then watched Higgins build on his good work and see his side to the verge of the 452 follow-on target late in the day.

Higgins shared a second-wicket stand of 121 with Max Holden on Saturday morning, with the latter making 51.

Robson was trapped lbw playing forwards at Bess before Leus du Plooy and Higgins put on 57 for the fourth-wicket either side of lunch.

Du Plooy was ousted early in the afternoon for 33, caught at short cover off a low full toss from new ball seamer Ben Coad.

But the fifth wicket pair of Higgins and wicketkeeper Jack Davies added 128 either side of tea, the latter making 61 before edging a low catch to slip off Bess.

Higgins, who used the sweep and reverse sweep swept well, reached 1,000 for the season on getting to 92 and brought up three figures in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 50 with Luke Hollman.