Neil Dexter & Gareth Berg put Derbyshire to sword

LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Lord's:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Derbyshire 196, Middlesex 366-9
Middlesex 7pts, Derbys 3pts
Match scorecard

Dexter (left) and Berg came together with the score on 126-5

Neil Dexter and Gareth Berg both hit centuries to bat Middlesex into a big first innings lead on day two of their clash with Derbyshire at Lord's.

After the visitors had added just six to their overnight 190-9, Middlesex lost Scott Newman first ball and Andrew Strauss cheaply in slumping to 126-5.

But Dexter (112) and Berg, who made a career-best 125, added 202, a county sixth-wicket record against Derbyshire.

The visitors then grabbed four late wickets as Middlesex closed on 366-9.

But the day belonged to Dexter and Berg, whose partnership bettered the 167 put on by Francis Mann and Leslie Compton at Derby in 1949.

For Dexter, reaching three figures helped banish the memory of a freak pre-season injury when he cracked a bone in the base of his spine falling heavily down some steps while putting a bag of rubbish out at home, forcing him to miss his side's first four Championship matches.

And for Berg there was the small matter of completing a maiden first-class century, beating his previous highest score of 98 against Kent last summer.

Dexter brought up his century off 166 balls, with 12 fours, with Berg reaching 100 off exactly 100 balls, with three sixes and 10 fours.

And even though Middlesex lost three wickets for four runs just before the close, the efforts of Dexter and Berg ensured their side will start day three very much in charge.

The one concern, for England at least, will be Strauss's continuing struggle for form, with his 13 taking his tally to just 262 runs in 11 Championship innings.