Malan’s superb century overshadowed as Woakes & Wright combine to hand Warwickshire the advantage against Middlesex

by Tom Moore, at Uxbridge Wednesday, August 1, 2012
6:37 PM

County Championship Day 1: Middlesex 324-7

Joe Denly was out for 95 against Warwickshire. Picture: Stephen Pond/EMPICS

Dawid Malan hit a wonderful 105 but his wicket sparked a mini collapse as Middlesex fell from 285-3 to 290-7.

Chris Woakes claimed two wickets in two balls, with John Simpson and Gareth Berg falling for ducks – the latter a first baller as the match entered the last 10 overs of the day.

Warwickshire's Chris Woakes took two wickets in two balls to give his side the initiative. Picture: Neal Simpson/EMPICS Sport

Joe Denly fell five runs short of a well deserved century in a knock that consisted of 14 fours and two sixes but it was Malan that was the star of the show, reaching three figures from 162 balls and 14 fours.

Middlesex lost the toss for the ninth time in 11 Championship matches and were inserted by Warwickshire with Chris Rogers and Joe Denly opening the batting and the Australian was off the mark with his first ball from Chris Woakes.

Chris Wright helped hand Warwickshire the advantage with two quick wickets towards the close of play. Picture: David Davies/PA Archive

Denly was more circumspect but was off the mark with a boundary.

Chris Wright claimed the opening wicket, drawing Rogers forward and he edged him behind to Tim Ambrose in the 12th over to leave the home side 44-1 with the Australian departing for 16.

Neil Dexter looked to play himself in but midway through the morning session, a shower disrupted the play.

They returned after 15 minutes though and Denly and Dexter applied the pressure with Boyd Rankin and Rikki Clarke struggling to look penetrating.

But on the stroke of lunch Clarke had Dexter, who had hit five fours already, adjudged LBW for 26 and Middlesex were now 97-2 with only a short time until lunch.

Malan had everything to lose and nothing to gain as he strode to the crease and looked to improve his form after struggling with the bat.

He guided his first ball into to gully but the ball had bounced a long way in front.

The home side upped the ante after lunch and Denly reached his 50 off 95 balls.

Malan was keeping pace and had moved to 17 not out, just half an hour into the afternoon session.

Maddy put the brakes on Denly and caused the opener problem, bowling a tight line and length to keep the opener quiet.

Indeed, Malan was the one who was keeping the scoreboard ticking over, reaching 50 off 84 balls with nine fours.

Denly took a liking to a short ball from Clarke and deposited him into the pavilion and went into tea 10 runs shy of his hundred as the home side went into the interval at 227-2.

But on 95, Maddy finally had his man, adjudged LBW and a fantastic innings came to an end with Middlesex 232-3.

That dismissal brought out Eoin Morgan and he made a fast start, hitting Jeetan Patel for four.

But Malan’s innings came to an end five runs later when he left a straight one from Wright with just over 10 overs remaining.

Simpson came and went very quickly, hooking Woakes to wicketkeeper for a seven-ball duck and then Berg fell first ball, edging the pace bowler to Rikki Clarke

Ollie Rayner came in to face the hat-trick ball that he just survived but the visitors smelled blood.

And when Morgan fell for 19, edging Wright behind, Warwickshire were into the tail and Middlesex had lost four wickets for just five runs to leave them on 290-7.

Despite looking as if it was going to be a struggle to bring up the 300, Boyd Rankin delivered a no-ball to reach the third batting point.

Rayner and Toby Roland-Jones settled any nerves and it is they who will return to the crease tomorrow morning with the score on 324-7 after 97 overs.