DEXTER
AND SIMPSON RESPOND IN STYLE TO ARAFAT'S BURST by Marcus Hook
Middlesex 368-5 v Surrey.
Middlesex's Neil Dexter and John Simpson responded
magnificently to Yasir Arafat's early burst, which reduced the home
side to 28-3 in the tenth over, after Surrey won the toss and
elected to insert their hosts. The fifth wicket pair added 254 in 63
overs, which put a very different complexion on proceedings. Other
than being dropped on 100, the only time Dexter looked troubled came
late in the day when, after turning a single into two runs, he
appeared to pull a back muscle. Dexter's was the only wicket to
fall, twenty-five minutes before the close, after lunch.
The Middlesex captain batted for 310 minutes,
faced 223 balls and hit 17 fours and two maximums in his 145, which
was agonisingly close to being a new career best. But, if anything,
Simpson's unbeaten 126, which is a career best, was the more
memorable knock. The inclusion of the young keeper-batsman has been
questioned, given that he is denying Ben Scott a place in the
Middlesex line-up. On yesterday's evidence Scott can start looking
for a third county.
The hosts soon found themselves in trouble with
Yasir Arafat striking for the first time this season to claim three
wickets in his opening spell of 8-1-27-3. Scott Newman was the first
man to go when he fell leg before to an inswinging delivery in the
fourth over. Four overs later, Dan Housego, stabbing at a short
ball, was snapped up at third slip by Tom Maynard.
In the tenth over, Chris Rogers cover drove Arafat
for four, but appeared fortunate to survive the next delivery, which
defeated the Aussie left-hander in a manner similar to Newman's
departure. Two overs later, Rogers despatched Arafat for two
successive boundaries, but, next ball, driving on the walk, had his
bails disturbed by the Pakistan all-rounder.
In the 18th over, Chris Jordan's first two
deliveries since September 2009 were sent whistling to the fence at
backward point by Dawid Malan. Dexter, who doubled his runs for the
season when he went past 12, flicked Gareth Batty over the head of
the square leg umpire, Neil Mallender, for four before pulling and
on-driving Jordan to the leg-side boundary.
But just before lunch Malan, playing back to
Batty, was trapped leg before by a one that skidded on to the
23-year-old left-hander, which meant that Surrey were the happier of
the two teams going into the break. At tea, however, the pendulum
had swung towards Middlesex, thanks to Dexter and Simpson, who put
on 133 unbeaten runs in 36 overs in the afternoon session.
Dexter brought his fifty up by depositing Batty in
the pavilion for six in the 37th over. In the next, Simpson edged
Jade Dernbach through where third slip would have been posted, at a
catchable height, before driving Batty's fourth ball back into the
attack over wide mid-on for four.
Simpson brought the hundred partnership up with a
pull-drive for four off Jordan and, in the next over, the 59th,
posted a 113-ball half-century by despatching Arafat to the deep
cover rope, and Middlesex's first batting point with an edged four
to third man. Just before tea, Dexter, who by this time was looking
untroubled, pulled a long hop from Rory Hamilton-Brown for six.
Twenty minutes after the interval, the Middlesex
captain reached his first hundred of the season with a straight
driven four off Dernbach. It had taken him 226 minutes, 163 balls
and his century included 11 fours and two maximums. Dexter was
dropped at first slip off the very next delivery. Dernbach's mood
was not helped when Dexter then dismissed him to the rope at deep
extra cover to make it 252-4.
Simpson moved to 89 with a slog swept six over
wide long-on off Batty and, six overs later, brought up the 200
partnership with a cover driven four off Tim Linley. Linley's next
over was the first with the new cherry, but it saw Simpson go to a
181-ball hundred, Dexter hit a four through cover and then Simpson
record a new career best with a boundary back past the bowler.
Simpson took the fifth wicket stand past 250 in
the 88th over with a pulled four off Jordan. But, two overs later,
Jordan made the breakthrough when Dexter miscued a loose pull high
to Arafat at mid-off. It was small consolation for the visitors,
who, despite their bright start, may well have to target next week's
clash with Leicestershire for their first championship win of the
season.
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