A career best 141 not out from Ben Scott gave Middlesex a chance of a third successive Championship win.

Middlesex enter the final day with a lead of 340 runs over Northants, with a total of 377-8 in their second innings.

That represented a tremendous recovery for the hosts from an overnight 4-2 and a subsequent slump to 105-6.

Scott and Eoin Morgan shared a stand of 128 after Johann van der Wath had rattled the top order, taking his second five-wicket haul of the match.

But it was a depressing day for England spinner Monty Panesar, whose 21 wicketless overs followed a similar fruitless return on the opening day.

Middlesex were in huge danger when Owais Shah was bowled by a van der Wath delivery which pitched on leg stump and hit off to make the total 35-4.

But Morgan (93) and Ed Joyce (38) started a recovery which turned into a full-on renaissance when Scott, batting down at eight, began his innings.