COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Chelmsford
6-9 June (Play starts 1100 BST)
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Middlesex 274 and 60-0 Essex 157 (Essex 3pts, Middlesex 5pts)

Berg and Finn were denied all 10 wickets between them by Murali Kartik

Gareth Berg and Steven Finn both took career-best first-class bowling figures as Middlesex took control of their County Championship clash with Essex.

Only 37 from Danish Kaneria helped Essex avoid the follow-on as they were bowled out for 157 after resuming the second day on 54-4.

Berg (4-35) did the bulk of the damage, ripping out the middle order before Finn (5-57) took the final two wickets.

Middlesex reached 60-0 in their second innings by the close, a lead of 177.

England Test captain Andrew Strauss was unbeaten on 35, with Nick Compton on 24 when rain brought a premature close.

Finn started day two with figures of 3-21, but saw Berg take centre stage to begin with.

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to the second day's play

He made a stunning start, removing Mark Pettini, David Masters and Adam Wheater inside his opening three overs to leave Essex on 87-7.

And when he had James Middlebrook caught by wicketkeeper David Nash he beat his previous best figures, also taken against Essex, of 3-38.

Finn wrapped up the innings by claiming the scalps of Chris Wright and Kaneria to complete his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket to beat his previous first-class best of 4-51 against Gloucestershire at Bristol in 2007.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version