Mother Cricket clearly wasn’t on Yorkshire’s side today as Middlesex’s impressive centurion Ryan Higgins survived a huge let-off before lunch on day three.
Higgins top-scored for the visitors with 117 not out having replaced fellow centurion Sam Robson (108) at the crease with the score at 207-3 in the 76th over as they replied to Yorkshire’s 601-6 declared in the first innings.
Middlesex went on to post 441-5 and are 11 runs shy of avoiding the follow-on, something they are certain to do during the early stages of day four.
That would dot the i’s and cross the t’s on a high-scoring draw.
But it could have been oh so different!
Dom Bess finished the day with 4-168 from an incredible 64 overs of off-spin. Never before had he bowled as many overs in a first-class innings.
He had claimed each of the first three wickets, and oh so nearly had a fourth quickly to open the door for Yorkshire.
Bess explained: “I got one to go through the gate against Higgins second ball, and it hit the bail but the bail didn’t come off. If that had gone our way, you’re right in.
“We heard a massive noise and didn’t realise it had clipped the top of the bail.
“Higgins has scored 1,000 runs this year, and he’s a great player.
“Once someone gets in like that, on a wicket like that, it’s hard to get them out.”
Bess did get a fourth wicket later in the day, but it wasn’t Higgins.
The off-spinner has been excellent on an placid pitch. But all of Yorkshire’s bowlers have. Dan Moriarty returned 0-145 from 52 overs of left-arm spin, while Ben Coad claimed a rare wicket for the seamers
“There were real positives from our side,” said Bess, who knows a draw is now inevitable.
“It’s now 1,040 runs for 11 wickets in the game, so we’ve done well to keep them just under three runs an over. It’s been a tough day.
“Jonny Bairstow spoke to the group really well about character this morning, and days like today show your character more than anything. If it happens, it happens. But that showed we’ll keep coming.
“It sounds stupid, but it was a great effort for Coady to get a wicket. There is literally nothing there in the pitch!
“I don’t think we could have tried any more.
“Moz (Dan Moriarty) was really unlucky. That was a good test for him, bowling 50 overs for no reward. To keep coming was testament to him.”
On his own performance, he said: “For me, I’m just glad to be bowling Championship overs because it’s only my third game.
“I’ve said to Jonny Tattersall that I’ll keep bowling until we either bowl them out or the game finishes because you can’t replace Championship overs.”
