Middlesex and Glamorgan heading for draw in Lord’s run-fest

Ryan Higgins’ century steered Middlesex towards the safety of a draw on day three of their high-scoring encounter with Glamorgan at Lord’s.

The all-rounder made the most of a benign Lord’s pitch to plunder an unbeaten 127 and enable the hosts, faced with the scoreboard pressure of Glamorgan’s steepling first innings score of 620 for three, to move to the verge of avoiding the follow-on with their impressive reply of 460 for five.

He was ably assisted by wicketkeeper-batter Jack Davies who made 60, the pair sharing a fifth wicket stand of 153 having come together with their side still almost 350 runs in arrears.

Their efforts came after opener Mark Stoneman fell three shy of a century.

Glamorgan’s bowlers stuck manfully to the task throughout the day, on a track offering them nothing and with a Kookaburra ball which quickly went soft.

Daunting

Middlesex began the day 138 for one, a daunting 482 runs in arrears and they might have lost Stoneman in the first over had a shy at the stumps from an unnecessarily-risky single resulted in a direct hit.

Thereafter, he and the other overnight batter Max Holden were unperturbed, the latter moving smoothly to 50. However, with his hundred beckoning Stoneman mistimed a drive and found only the hands of cover, ending a stand of 120.

Holden fell to a well-executed plan, turning a ball off his hip into the hands of a judiciously placed Colin Ingram at leg-slip.

At 202 for three there would still have have been jitters for Middlesex but Higgins stepped up, he and debutant Leus du Plooy seeing them through to lunch without further loss.

Du Plooy’s innings was cut short on 37 but if the Welsh county sensed a door opening, Higgins and Davies joined forces to slam it shut.

Davies fell to Kiran Carlson but Higgins remains at the crease with only 11 needed to avoid being asked to bat again and the honours seem destined to be shared ahead of the final day.