Teenage opener Dan Lategan’s imperious 65 set Worcestershire on their way to a positive second day of Rothesay County Championship action against Middlesex, closing with a lead of 208 runs.
The left-hander’s excellent form at the top of the order continued, as he and Jake Libby added 112 for the first wicket, after Worcestershire’s bowlers had earlier dismissed Middlesex for 183.
Leading by just eight at the start of the second-innings, Libby’s composed 79 and a watchful 34 from Kashif Ali put Worcestershire in control on a sedate afternoon at Lord’s.
The loss of five wickets in the evening session checked the visitors’ progress however, but the Pears will resume the third day on 200-7, keen to build their lead and keep their noses in front.
Worcestershire made their way down the historic Pavilion steps and onto the outfield at Lord’s on Saturday morning with a spring in their step, after a thrilling evening session had seen the Pears into pole position in the match.
Under heavy cloud cover and aided by the floodlights, it was Oliver Hannon-Dalby who once again turned provider for his side, producing another away-swinging delivery that proved too good for Joe Cracknell as the Middlesex keeper was caught behind for seven.
Having led the charge on the opening day, the inspirational Hannon-Dalby continued to lead from the front throughout the second morning, reminding everyone of his capabilities with the ball as the veteran seamer looked to press home his adopted-side’s advantage.
After a bright start, the visitors’ progress was slowed, by a stubborn partnership between Sebastian Morgan and Zafar Gohar, which kept Tom Taylor and Adam Finch at bay for the next hour of the morning.
At 153-7, Brett D’Oliveira’s side changed tact and deployed a short-ball tactic in a renewed effort to wrap-up the elongated Middlesex innings.
It was Finch who made the breakthrough, cueing scenes of delight in the middle for the visitors.
Just moments after dropping to his knees having seen Rob Jones drop a sharp chance at short backward square-leg, Finch was jumping for joy the very next delivery when Morgan pulled a bouncer straight to the onlooking Ethan Brookes at midwicket, who made no mistake with the catch to vindicate the mid-morning change of bowling plan.
Brookes, so often the man to make things happen, came up trumps upon his return to the attack from the Nursery End, snaring Gohar for a resistant 42, much to the delight of his Worcestershire teammates in the field.
13 runs were added for the final wicket, with Finch claiming the wicket of Roland-Jones shortly after 1pm, bringing an end to an arduous morning session that saw the Pears leave the field for lunch with a slender lead of just eight runs.
Resuming after the interval, openers Dan Lategan and Jake Libby set about their task of building the Worcestershire lead, keen to pick up where their bowling counterparts had earlier left off.
With the right-left hand combination forcing the Middlesex attack into constant alterations to lines, lengths, and field settings, Worcestershire’s opening pair settled into their work with relative ease.
Lategan played with his usual dominance, driving the ball with distain off his front foot, whilst the experienced Libby at the other end continued to play watchfully, rotating strike and seeing off any major threats.
The partnership blossomed, with Worcestershire’s teenage ace continuing to enhance his reputation with each ball that passed, exuding confidence and a clinical edge that continues to excite Pears fans and players alike.
Libby too made himself at home in the capital, playing with his usual composure, shaking hands with his opening partner when the visitors passed fifty in the ninth over of the innings.
Lategan raced to a superb 48-ball-50, a second half century in as many Division Two matches, with eight boundaries under his belt, seemingly without breaking a sweat.
By the time the ball was barely 20 overs old, the Pears first wicket stand ticked past 100, with the away side enjoying their most dominant period of the match so far, racing along at nearly five-an-over.
The first wicket came totally against the run of play, when Lategan was beaten by an excellent delivery from Ryan Higgins, bringing an end to another eye-catching cameo from the rapidly improving teenage batter, who left the field to a standing ovation from his teammates in appreciation of his 63-ball-65.
Undeterred, Libby pressed on with new man Kashif Ali, reaching a fifty of his own in typically magnanimous style, having anchored the Worcestershire innings during his two-hour stay at the crease.
Returning from tea, Kashif Ali batted on through some inclement April conditions to steer the Pears past 150 with relative ease, before the momentum of the match began to teeter.
From 179-2, the Pears slipped to 198-7 in a challenging evening session.
Middlesex once again landed an unexpected blow as they cashed in on a rare mistake from Worcestershire’s Vice-Captain, when Jake Libby was forced to depart having made an excellent 79 after edging a wide ball behind to Josh de Caires at slip, before Adam Hose (4) was given out LBW as the visitors’ progress was checked shortly after 5pm.
Just after the lead extended past 200, first-innings hero D’Oliveira was bowled for three, soon followed by Ethan Brookes, who was pinned LBW having dug in for 21 deliveries, and Adam Finch, who was bowled without scoring.
Gareth Roderick stood firm with Matthew Waite to see out the remainder of the day as the visitors closed on 200-7, leading by 208 runs.
