Murtagh haul leaves Essex on rack

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Lord's:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Middlesex 356 Essex 107-4 (Middlesex 5pts, Essex 3pts)
11-14 August 2009

Match scorecard

Live commentary

Murtagh's best figures this season are 7-82

Tim Murtagh took 4-32 as Middlesex seized the initiative on day two of their clash with Essex at Lord's.

Murtagh added to England pair Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara's woes by removing both early on as Essex slumped to 32-4.

But Matt Walker (35no) and James Foster (40no) shared an unbroken 75 for the fifth wicket as they closed on 107-4.

Essex need another 100 to avoid the follow-on after Gareth Berg had earlier hit 66 as Middlesex were bowled out for 356 after resuming on 280-6.

Berg, 43 overnight, helped his side secure a third batting point before partner Murali Kartik (22) edged Ryan ten Doeschate to Foster to end a seventh-wicket stand of 45.

Murtagh and Berg added a further 33 before both fell in quick succession, both trapped leg before by Danish Kaneria and Ten Doeschate respectively.

606: DEBATE

Tim Murtagh is not very patriotic - he shouldn't have got Cook and Bopara out so cheaply when we're trying to win the Ashes

supercliveradley

At 340-9 it appeared as though Middlesex would miss out on a fourth batting point. But last pair Steven Finn and Alan Richardson saw them past 350 before Foster stumped Finn to give Kaneria (4-74) his final wicket.

Attention then turned to how Cook and Bopara would fare as they looked to remind the England selectors of their ability.

But Bopara, whose place for the decisive final Ashes Test is under particular threat after a poor run of scores, did nothing to enhance his chances of retaining his spot for The Oval, edging only his seventh ball to Kartik at second slip for just 1.

That left Essex 15-2 and gave Murtagh his second wicket after he had earlier trapped Cook leg before for 4.

He also had John Maunders caught by Eoin Morgan and Mark Pettini lbw to leave the visitors in deep trouble before Walker and Foster steadied the ship until heavy rain forced an early close.