Toby Roland-Jones’s latest five-wicket haul gave Middlesex the edge on a bowler-dominated opening day against Kent at Lord’s.
The evergreen former England seamer took 5-33, the 33rd time in his career he’d achieved a five-wicket haul as the visitors were skuttled for 129.
Tawanda Muyeye top-scored with 29, but Zak Crawley’s poor run of first-innings scores continued as he made only six
Kent though hit back with ball in hand on an unusually sporty Lord’s pitch, offering both seam and a hint of turn, George Garrett taking 2-39 as the hosts reached 158-4 at stumps with Ryan Higgins 44 not out.
Crawley, named this morning in the squad for the Test against Zimbabwe in less than three weeks, was undone by a beauty from South-African quick Dane Paterson which angled in before leaving him off the pitch, beating his outside edge and pinning him in front.
With his departure Roland-Jones took centre-stage. The Seaxes skipper, who would have played many more than his four tests for England were it not for two stress fractures of the back when at the peak of his powers, demonstrated again, even at 37, his relentless accuracy can harass top quality players into error.
Kent skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond appeared a little skittish before Roland-Jones produced a fullish ball which he nicked to wicketkeeper Jack Davies.
That brought Muyeye in to join Ben Compton, a pair whose record third-wicket stand had won the reverse fixture between the sides three weeks ago.
Any psychological scars were banished when Compton, having grafted for an hour, shouldered arms and was bowled by Higgins.
Muyeye looked at ease, taking heavy toll of some loose deliveries from Henry Brookes, dispatching him to the short boundary three times in two overs.
Roland-Jones though would return to dismiss him on the stroke of lunch, Higgins providing safe hands at gully.
If that was a good catch, his left-handed grab to remove the dangerous Jack Leaning soon after the resumption was sensational and gave Roland-Jones his fourth victim. The five-for was celebrated shortly afterwards courtesy of Chris Benjamin’s nick behind.
Paterson provided good support, though Joey Evison looked unlucky to be adjudged lbw with question marks over both height and line.
Brookes mopped up the tail leaving the as ever self-effacing Roland-Jones to reluctantly accept acclaim for his bowling feats as he reached the pavilion.
With so few to defend and a bowling attack shorn of the likes of Nathan Gilchrist and the man who has often proved Middlesex’s nemesis Grant Stewart, they found a new-ball hero of their own in Garrett.
In his first Championship game of the season, Garrett accounted for both openers, Stephen Eskinazi castled by one which pitched middle and clipped the off bail, while Robson, on his return from Paternity leave was unlucky to be adjudged leg before to one seemingly missing leg.
The in-form Max Holden with over 500 runs so far in the campaign including two centuries at Lord’s also fell cheaply courtesy of Leaning’s super catch at slip.Luke Hollman, into the side at a career-high No.4 in place of the injured Leus du Plooy off the back of scoring 160 in the 2s last week, counter-attacked, some powerful drives taking him to 42 before Matt Parkinson got one to turn and take the edge.
Higgins and Ben Geddes then further steadied the home ship with an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 62 to leave Middlesex in front ahead of day two.Before play began, the MCC gave Middlesex employee Lorraine Poole the honour or ringing the 5-minute bell to mark the last day of her 25 years of service to the club.
Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones who took 5:33 said:
“Any time the opposition decides to bat and you can apply pressure like we did you are pretty happy with that.
“The important thing today was the partnerships we want to create with the ball, building that pressure from both ends and I thought we stuck to that outstandingly well throughout the day.
“It was a bit of a funny spell almost. The patch where I bowled best after lunch I beat the edge a little bit and didn’t always get the wickets. Then there was a little bit of fatigue creeping in and there were probably a couple of loose ones to finish off the 5 wickets.
“I don’t think you want to lap it up too much (acclaim from the pavilion). One thing we’ve had here this season is a pretty packed pavilion every Friday in particular, so it was nice to see that again. It’s always a nice to walk of ball in hand with a busy pavilion. It’s one of the things that keeps me playing for sure.”
Kent Head Coach Adam Hollioake said: “It definitely could have gone better, but I guess we were due for a bad day.
“This is our 10th day of the season, we beat Northants in two days, these guys (Middlesex) in three days and had a four-day draw with Gloucestershire, so one bad day in 10 is always on the cards. This is sport, not sit-coms, movies or whatever. That is what we love about it, the unknown.
“We had three games where we picked up one injury and then during our week off we got three. Again that is just sport and you never know what is going to happen.
“Nathan Gilchrist got hit in the head, Grant Stewart has got an abdominal injury and Jas Singh rolled his ankle in the nets and it’s a season-ending injury.
“George (Garrett) bowled really nicely. He’s been bowling well all season actually, albeit in the seconds. He’s been working hard to get himself right for when he gets his opportunity.”
Picture supplied by Ray Lawrence of Ray Lawrence photography.