Middlesex pair 'turned the tide' with their batting approach

In the first innings, Northants were trying to seize control of a match they had to win for a chance of promotion. The second innings was all about trying to regroup after falling so far in deficit.

Seizing control and regrouping are essential elements in competitive sport – and both teams adopted these approaches at different times in the match.

This was not necessarily a bat first pitch on winning the toss, but it wasn’t a 103 all out pitch on first innings either. Northants coach Darren Lehmann acknowledged as much after day one.

Northants began the final Championship match four points behind second-placed Kent. It was entirely understandable to bat, try to pick up batting points and put pressure not only on Middlesex, but also on Kent. That they did not do so doesn’t mean the approach was wrong.

Certainly, there was some movement for a fine Middlesex attack with the new ball, but nothing close to the irregular bounce that made batting look so complicated at times earlier in the season at Lord’s and elsewhere in the Championship.

While Ricardo Vasconcelos and Calvin Harrison both fell to flashing drives trying to force the pace, several of their colleagues were undone by deliveries that were just too good while trying to play an appropriate defensive shot.

Come the second innings, Northamptonshire were 152 behind. Regrouping, slowing the game down and trying to transfer pressure back on to the Seaxes was a must.

After all, Middlesex were batting last on a pitch taking some turn for spinner Zafar Gohar and that would not have gone unnoticed by Northants’ Yuzvendra Chahal and Calvin Harrison.

Subsequently, when Middlesex lost both openers early in the chase, it was captain Max Holden who seized control, often going down the track to Ben Sanderson and not allowing the bowler to settle easily.

In contrast, Ben Geddes adopted the regrouping role, taking fewer risks and accumulating around a run every four deliveries early in his innings. Both innings turned the tide in favour of Middlesex.

Seizing control and regrouping are vital in the longer form of the game. It made for a thoroughly entertaining match.