Rain ruins Middlesex hopes

Middlesex were denied the opportunity to push for a third successive win in the LV County Championship by afternoon showers at Uxbridge.

Their Division Two encounter with Northamptonshire ended in a draw after 32 overs were lost during the day.

It was unfortunate for the hosts, who were in a good position after Ben Scott had scored an unbeaten career-best 164 to take them to 401 in their second innings and set Northants a target of 365.

Middlesex were then quickly into their stride, taking three early Northants wickets with only 34 runs on the board.

But Northants rallied as David Sales (48) and Lance Klusener shared a fourth-wicket stand of 143.

Klusener was undefeated on 94 from 93 balls when, with neither side having any chance of victory, play ended at 5pm with the visitors on 176 for three.

Earlier, Middlesex resumed on 377 for eight with Scott undefeated on 141 and Shaun Udal on 26.

Lance Klusener was unbeaten on 94 when the game ended

They lost their first wicket in the second over of the morning when Udal went without adding to his overnight score.

Looking to drive Johan Van der Wath, Udal mistimed the shot and holed out to David Lucas at mid on, giving the Northants seamer his sixth wicket.

Scott then smashed a couple of boundaries off Johann Louw, one of which brought up his 150, before Danny Evans became the last wicket to fall.

Tail-ender Evans was beaten by swing from Van der Wath and trapped leg before for a duck playing across the line.

South African Van der Wath finished with figures of 7-60 to return match figures of 12-128.

Middlesex got off to the perfect start as they returned to the field, taking the wicket of Niall O’Brien in the seventh over after he had put on 29 with Rob White.

O’Brien, having scored 12, looked to force through the legside but was dismissed lbw.

Nicky Boje smashed his first ball to the midwicket boundary but White fell lbw in the next over.

Without adding to his score, skipper Boje was the third man to fall to a superb diving catch by Owais Shah.

Boje, looking to drive a Tim Murtagh outswinger edged to Shah’s right where he snapped up the chance low down.