County Championship: Middlesex opener Mark Stoneman completes century against Leicestershire

John Simpson and Luke Hollman shared a century stand as Middlesex closed in on victory over Leicestershire on day two of their County Championship clash at Lord's.

The Foxes, after being bowled out on day one for 149, looked to be fighting their way back into the contest when the hosts slipped to 218 for five shortly before lunch, Mark Stoneman having fallen for 108, his first century for Middlesex at Lord's.

However, Simpson (71) and Hollman (45) sucked the life out of those hopes by adding 112 for the sixth wicket, carrying Middlesex past 300 in the first innings of a County Championship match for the third game in a row - the first time they have achieved the feat since June 2017.

Ben Mike's late spell of four for 15 saw Middlesex eventually dismissed for 370, but Shaheen Afridi (two for 18) and Ethan Bamber (one for six) ripped out the Foxes' top order once more to leave them 37 for three at stumps, still needing 184 to make the hosts bat again.

Middlesex resumed on 142 for two, seven runs in arrears, but were soon ahead thanks to a flurry of boundaries from skipper Peter Handscomb. However, with the hard work looking like it had been done the Australian fenced at one from Chris Wright to be caught at slip and depart for 27.

New batsman Max Holden was in a hurry, reverse sweeping Callum Parkinson to the boundary, but he never looked comfortable.

At the other end Stoneman got an attack of the nervous 90s, surviving a huge lbw appeal from Parkinson on 99. Then, the opener's dab into the offside in search of his 100 saw a shy at the stumps which, had it hit, would have left Holden well short of his ground.

Holden's skittish effort ended soon afterwards when he charged Parkinson only to jam the attempted drive into his foot, the ball rebounding on to his pads and then the stumps, disturbing the leg bail.

When Stoneman heaved across a long hop from the spinner to depart for 108 the hosts were only 69 ahead, but Simpson and Hollman soon set about snuffing out any glimmer of light for the visitors.

Simpson, fresh from his hundred against Glamorgan last week, struck the ball purposefully from the off and Hollman caught the mood, twice punching Parkinson through the covers for four.

The afternoon saw the pair grow in confidence, Simpson lofting Parkinson over mid-off for four, one of eight in a 50 reached in 83 balls. Hollman too was enjoying himself, flat-batting a wide one from Beuran Hendricks over point for six.

Middlesex's record sixth-wicket partnership of 130 against Leicestershire by Clive Radley and Fred Titmus back in 1965 was in sight when the belatedly introduced Mike yorked Hollman five short of a deserved half-century, Simpson following to the same bowler shortly afterwards caught at slip.

Mike ran through the tail, but some eccentric hitting including a huge six by Shaheen (29) ensured a fourth batting point and a lead of 221.

Shaheen's batting antics served as a perfect warm-up for his new-ball burst and the Pakistan bowler struck in his third over, pinning Hassan Azad plumb in front and five balls later came the prize wicket of Leicestershire skipper Colin Ackermann, who bagged a pair after edging to the safe hands of Hollman at slip.

Bamber, unusually bowling from the Nursery End to accommodate Shaheen, joined in the fun by bowling Louis Kimber before mercifully for Leicestershire the fading light forced an early close.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.