COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Lord's:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Middlesex 280-6 (Middlesex 2pts, Essex 2pts)
11-14 August 2009

Australia-born Robson struck nine fours in his 273-ball 110

Sam Robson hit his maiden first-class century to help Middlesex fight back against Essex on day one at Lord's.

After Graham Napier (3-52) struck three times to reduce the hosts to 64-3, Robson (110) shared a fourth-wicket stand of 143 with Dawid Malan (73).

Danish Kaneria (2-65) then removed Malan and Ben Scott in the same over, before Robson and Gareth Berg (43no) added 55 for the sixth wicket.

Robson fell to Tony Palladino before stumps as Middlesex closed on 280-6.

Essex included Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara in their line-up, but the England pair were made to wait for their chance with the bat after Mark Pettini won the toss and elected to field.

He was vindicated when Napier struck to remove Nick Compton, Owais Shah and stand-in home skipper Eoin Morgan, before Robson and Malan combined.

After Malan was dropped at slip by Cook, he and Robson took Middlesex past the 200-mark in their 44-over stand, before Cook made amends to snaffle a chance from Kaneria and send Malan back.

Scott was bowled three balls later to again put the hosts under pressure, but Robson marched on to three figures, reaching his first ton in 255 balls and with eight fours.

The Australian-born right-hander fell five overs from stumps, missing a weary flick across the line to be trapped leg before, but this was to be Essex's final success of the day.

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