County Championship 2022 Division II | Middlesex fiery pace attack shines against Leicestershire

The home team Middlesex have sealed the Day 1 of their Round 3 fixture against Leicestershire at Lord's Cricket Ground.

Pakistani star seamer Shaheen Afridi bagged 3 crucial wickets which cramped the batting order of Leicestershire.

After opting to bowl first in weather conducive for the seam bowlers, Middlesex made early inroads with Afridi helping to induce an edge off Hasan Azad, which was caught at the second slip.

In the next ball of the same over, Colin Ackermann was caught in two minds and dragged his bowl onto the stumps.

After a terrific start from Afridi, Tom Helm, Toby Roland Jones, and Ethan Bamber joined him, displaying a superb spell of pace bowling amid cloud cover against a team that was really low on confidence.

At lunch, Leicestershire was reduced to 63/6. Moving into the second session, Ben Mike (19) and Ed Barnes (13) tried to build a partnership, but both were dismissed in quick succession by Tom Helm.

In the end, Callum Parkinson (25*) and Beuran Hendricks (22) saved Leicestershire from humiliation as they provided some cushion for the team, leading them to a total of 149.

The home team started on a solid note in response, with Sam Robson and Mark Stoneman putting up a 60-run opening stand. In the 15th over of the innings, Robson was adjudged LBW off Barnes.

After the wicket of Robson arrived Robbie White, who did well to continue the well-built momentum of the openers. However, his wicket on the 39th over ended the Day's Play.

The seasoned campaigner Stoneman is at the crease with 80* off 99, and the team finished with 142/2. The team is trailing by a nominal margin of 7 runs, and the next batters, Peter Handscomb and John Simpson will be on the lookout for extending the lead on Day 2.

It will be interesting to see if Leicestershire's bowlers can make a comeback on Day 2 to save the match from going beyond their reach.

Brief Scores on Day 1

Middlesex - 142/2 in 38.4 overs (1st innings) 

Mark Stoneman 80*, Robbie White 23

Ed Barnes 1/24, Wiaan Mulder 1/35

Leicestershire - 149 all-out in 56.5 overs (1st innings)

Callum Parkinson 25, Beuran Hendricks 22; 

Shaheen Afridi 3/54, Tom Helm 3/23