Match report- Middlesex v Glos Day Three
13 May 2018
Gloucestershire face a thrilling battle on Monday against Middlesex at Lord's.
Visiting captain Chris Dent, top scored with 66 but it was not enough to prevent his side being bowled out for 210.
Middlesex’s Australian all-rounder Hilton Cartwright returned career-best figures of 4-33 in the first innings.
That left Gloucestershire 245 behind at the start of the second innings. The second innings on day three ended with Gloucestershire on 66/2.
Middlesex bowled well in the morning but initially without any reward as both Dent and James Bracey found the gap between slips and gully very efficiently.
The opening pair put together a stand of 72 before Cartwright made the breakthrough, persuading Bracey (28) to attempt a cut that saw him caught behind off the bottom edge.
Gareth Roderick lasted four balls, falling leg before to Cartwright for a duck, and Ollie Rayner reduced the Gloucestershire to 90-3 when his first delivery accounted for Graeme van Buuren (6).
Jack Taylor struck a breezy 22 before Finn pinned him lbw in the fifth over after lunch.
Benny Howell, who came in down the order after a stomach upset had kept him off the field the previous afternoon, showed resistance with a gritty knock of 47 from 87 balls.
Cartwright’s second spell earned him the wickets of Craig Miles (13) and Daniel Worrall (6) and he finished off the innings just before tea, taking a skier at mid-on to remove Howell.
With Middlesex skipper Dawid Malan enforcing the follow-on, Howell was soon back at the crease alongside Dent and the pair made a solid start to their second innings.
Malan rotated his bowlers without success until Howell (16) lost his wicket for the second time, chopping James Harris onto his stumps.
Gloucestershire captain, Dent departed soon afterwards for 35 as Helm found his outside edge.
