5/49 by Michael Hogan saw Middlesex dismissed for 194 shortly after lunch on the third day of their weather-ravaged Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at Lord’s. in reply, the Welsh county slipped to 38/4 when bad light brought an early finish in the bowler-friendly conditions.
Evening Update
Conditions did not improve after tea, with drizzle and bad light continuing before the umpires - Ian Gould and Rob Bailey - abandoned play for the day shortly before 5pm.
Afternoon Update
Middlesex resumed on 193/8 after lunch but after an accurate over from Michael Hogan, Glamorgan picked up maximum bowling points as van der Gugten plucked out Ollie Rayner’s off stump. Next over Tim Murtagh sparred at a ball outside off stump against Hogan as Selman pouched another catch to end Middlesex’s innings and to help his captain complete his 21st "five-for" in his first-class career.
Jack Murphy and Nick Selman opened the batting against Tim Murtagh and Tom Barber, with Selman twice cover-driving Barber to register the first boundary of the innings, before Murphy nurdled Murtagh safely through the slip cordon for four. But the bowler made the perfect riposte as he trapped the young opener l.b.w. as he propped forward later in the over.
Shaun Marsh began with a brace of singles but in the 13th over he became the second man to depart leg before to Murtagh. With Kiran Carlson as his next partner, Selman clipped successive balls from Helm to the ropes at square-leg before Selman became Murtagh’s third victim as the Irish-qualified seamer was bowled. 34/3 immediately became 34/4 as Aneurin Donald was caught behind first ball.
Morning Update
In a contest affected by rain and bad light where just 16 overs had been completed out of the scheduled 192, it was rather appropriate that amongst the evening entertainment last night in a local pub was a performance by a “Wet, Wet, Wet” tribute band and to paraphrase the title of the Scottish groups most famous number one hits, there was low cloud (rather than love) all around Lord’s for the third successive morning as the players arrived from 9am onwards. Fortunately however, there was no drizzle so play was able to commence at 11am with the floodlights augmenting the natural light.
With Middlesex on 64/3, the Glamorgan bowlers were hoping to make further inroads and to gather further bowling points in the dull and overcast conditions. Both Michael Hogan and Lukas Carey beat the outside edge on several occasions before Stevie Eskinazi square-drove Carey and next ball inside-edging the young seamer to fine-leg. Hilton Cartwright also thick-edged Carey to the ropes but next over he was bowled shouldering arms to Hogan with his side on 80/4.
Two overs later Eskinazi completed his fifty from 58 balls as he guided Hogan through backward point and he celebrated by pulling Carey to the ropes at mid-wicket and backward point. But with the total on 104 he saw Paul Stirling edge Hogan into Chris Cooke’s gloves. With John Simpson as his new partner, Eskinazi greeted the return of Timm van der Gugten by slashing him through point for another boundary, before Simpson began by on-driving Hogan before cutting van der Gugten to the boards at backward point.
Drizzle returned just before noon as David Lloyd replaced Hogan at the Nursery End. Simpson again edged van der Gugten just out of the reach of Salter in the gully before Eskinazi punched Lloyd off the back foot through extra-cover. Simpson repeated the stroke in van der Gugten’s next over but the rain intensified and the players left the field.
It was only a brief stoppage as 20 minutes later the action resumed with Eskinazi threading a ball from Lloyd through extra-cover but next over van der Gugten found the edge of his bat and Cooke completed a regulation catch. Ollie Rayner announced his arrival by swatting Lloyd for four before Simpson on 38 edged the Dutchman to Nick Selman at second slip. Three balls later Tom Helm feathered van der Gugten down the leg-side and was caught by Cooke.