I have been dropped so often it is amazing I am still playing Stuart Carlisle

Stuart Carlisle registered his second hundred of the tour as Zimbabwe's match against Middlesex drifted towards a draw at Shenley.

Carlisle made 137, sharing a third wicket stand of 173 with Grant Flower against a second-string Middlesex attack, who found the wicket at the Denis Compton Oval as unresponsive as the tourists had earlier in the game.

And there was little respite as Sean Ervine made 32 off 23 balls and stand-in skipper Tatenda Taibu 49 before declaring at tea.

But just 15 more overs of play were possible on a rain-hit evening, the county side reaching 86-1 by stumps.

Taibu helped add 77 with Carlisle, who was eventually caught by Ben Hutton at third man after a four and a half hour innings featuring a six and 20 fours.

"I have just been trying to use my feet a bit more and play more positively," said Carlisle, who made 157 against Worcestershire earlier in the tour.

"I have learnt a lot from people like Andy Flower in previous years and have taken the challenge of a more senior role.

"One of the things Andy always did was show he was in control no matter who was running in at him.

"When I bat I am trying to be more relaxed in the body, aim at smaller targets, while keeping the intensity of my concentration. Being too tense at the crease does not do you any favours."

Middlesex: Andy Strauss (capt), Robin Weston, Owais Shah, Ben Hutton, Ed Joyce, Paul Weekes, Michael Brown (wkt), Simon Cook, Thomas Hunt, Chris Peploe, Tim Bloomfield.