Gurney claims three for County

Date: Monday 31 May 2010

Owais Shah and Neil Dexter both made centuries as Middlesex closed on 356-5 on the third day of the LV=County Championship game at Grace Road.

After reducing Middlesex to 35-3, Leicestershire had hopes of removing the visitors for a low total. But Shah (156) and Dexter (118) combined effectively to take their side away from immediate peril and then ever-closer to County's first-innings tally.

There has certainly been something in the air when three wickets have gone down in this game. The pair shared 266 - taking the aggregate for that wicket to an incredible 626 in the match - until the impressive Harry Gurney (3-82) returned to break the stand with the new ball.

Gurney bowled well throughout proceedings and gained some tangible reward for his endeavours. The rest of the attack were largely out of luck; on another day, Middlesex could easily have been fetched out.

Leicestershire had the ideal start when Gurney struck in the first over of the day. The left armer enticed Sam Robson to edge and Matthew Boyce took a fine low catch at first slip.

Gurney and Hoggard were extracting good movement in the overcast conditions and Gurney then completed the opening set by having Scott Newman caught behind by Tom New with a beauty. The ball swung away from the bat and the keeper completed the honours.

Hoggard then removed the in-form Dawid Malan with a clever piece of bowling. The left hander edged an away swinger that Boyce couldn't quite hold on to at full stretch and Hoggard then nipped one back to trap him leg before next ball.

It was canny stuff from the captain and a deserved breakthrough. Andrew McDonald was called into action to replace Hoggard and Buck replaced Gurney in a double switch and both also got decent shape.

Buck moved the ball both ways while McDonald's natural inwards movement was also causing problems. It was tough work for the batsmen but Shah settled to the task and played a glorious drive through mid on for the day's first boundary.

That came after seventy minutes of play so showed how well the bowlers fared; particularly given Middlesex conceded fifty yesterday.

They did not have to wait long for the second though as Shah whipped away through mid-wicket. Dexter also got stuck in and he found the ropes with a stroke through the covers.

Buck produced some great deliveries though and passed Shah's outside edge with one particular beauty. Hoggard and Gurney then switched ends for a pre-lunch burst. The batsmen got through and Middlesex went into lunch on 91-3. Shah was unbeaten on 39 and Dexter 20 not out.

Although the morning was Leicestershire's, the afternoon session undoubtedly belonged to the visitors as they added 159 runs without loss.

Shah had an early reprieve after the break when Will Jefferson couldn't grab on to a chance when Gurney again found the edge. It was a tough low chance and although he got a hand on it, the ball went to ground.

Dexter glanced off his pads and Shah drove impressively down the ground as the duo got back in and Shah moved to a 122-ball fifty with his fifth four; a drive through mid wicket.

Another powerful stroke through mid off prompted a change of tack and Claude Henderson was introduced. Shah greeted his arrival with two lofted drives that bought up the 100-run partnership.

Dexter moved to his half-century from 105 and included six fours; two came in Nathan Buck's eleventh over as he drove through mid on and then slashed over the cordon to move to 50.

Another straight drive raced away but although runs were coming more freely, chances were still being created. Shah mistimed a lofted stroke that went in the long on region but Buck did not appear to pick the ball up in the gloomy conditions.

The youngster then found Shah's edge but the ball went between New and Boyce. Buck then beat the batsman completely but the ball failed to find the edge.

Dexter was looking the part though and a deft tickle off his legs and a fine cover drive both went for four. Shah continued to be aggressive against Henderson and hit over the top while Dexter also used his feet to good purpose; this time flicking through the leg side.

Shah moved into the eighties with a brace of straight shots and the 200 was up shortly after.

The batsman moved to his century with a slightly fortuitous stroke; the ball flew off the edge over the top of Boyce's head at slip but he had deserved that moment of fortune. The century came from 190 balls and included fifteen fours.

He also hit three more fours in that over as he continued to play freely. The 200-run stand came up and at tea, the score was 250-3 with Shah not out 118 and Dexter undefeated nine runs short of his ton.

The County bowlers were striving hard for breakthroughs and the luckless Buck ripped another snorter past the outside edge.

Dexter moved to a hundred from 165 balls and scored 13 fours in the process. He then stroked through cover and hit a six over mid off as he continued to go well.

The new ball was taken and Hoggard and Gurney returned to the fray. The left armer immediately struck to have Dexter caught at mid off by James Taylor following a miscued pull. It ended a fine partnership, which was 59 short of equalling the Middlesex record.

The captain continued to bowl well but, like Buck, was devoid of any fortune. Young keeper-batsman James Simpson came in and played calmly alongside Shah, who moved to 150 with an excellent pull for six. It came from 280 balls and included 23 fours as well as that maximum.

Hoggard bought back Henderson after sending down his 24th over - he went for just 46 runs, which was impressive stuff. Had he gained a pound for every time he passed the outside edge, he'd have ended the day a rich man.

His new ball partner Gurney also sent down the same amount of overs and finished the day as leading wicket taker, which was well deserved.

McDonald came back for another stint and he got his first breakthrough. It was the big wicket too, as he caught Shah off his own bowling for 156.

Simpson and Gareth Berg saw things through to stumps to leave Middlesex 108 runs behind going into the final day.