Higgins Stars as Middlesex Enforce Follow-On Against Northamptonshire

Higgins Stars as Middlesex Enforce Follow-On Against Northamptonshire

Ryan Higgins led from the front with a four-wicket haul as Middlesex enforced the follow-on against Northamptonshire on day three of their County Championship clash at Merchant Taylors' School.

Northamptonshire were dismissed for 261 in response to Middlesex’s mammoth first-innings total of 625 for 8 declared, conceding a deficit of 364. Forced to bat again, the visitors stumbled to 64 for 3 by stumps, still trailing by 300 runs, with Higgins again striking twice in a fiery second spell.

Higgins finished with 4 for 51 in the first innings and later removed both Ricardo Vasconcelos (lbw) and Aadi Sharma (bowled) in consecutive deliveries to bring his season tally to 32 wickets — the most by a Middlesex bowler this campaign. He was ably supported by young seamer Noah Cornwell, who took 3 for 48, including two late wickets to wrap up the innings after a rain delay.

Northamptonshire’s lone bright spot was Saif Zaib, who compiled a defiant 82 and became the first Northants player since Ben Duckett in 2016 to reach 1000 first-class runs in a season. Zaib narrowly missed being the quickest to the milestone across the county circuit, with Surrey’s Dom Sibley beating him to it by just 15 minutes earlier in the day.

Zaib shared a 55-run partnership with Rob Keogh, who battled through finger pain from a previous fielding injury. Keogh was eventually caught down the leg side off Cornwell, after which Higgins and Cornwell worked in tandem to slice through the lower order. Zaib’s innings ended shortly after lunch when Cornwell bowled him with a ball that jagged back sharply, and then removed Yuzvendra Chahal three balls later with a pinpoint yorker.

Weather interruptions disrupted proceedings throughout the day, but play resumed long enough for Middlesex to tighten their grip. In Northamptonshire’s second innings, Higgins struck early before Toby Roland-Jones bowled James Sales for 26, just as he appeared to be counterattacking.

Lewis McManus held firm with an unbeaten 21, but the visitors were left in deep trouble when bad light ended play prematurely.

With a full day remaining and Northamptonshire still needing 300 runs just to make Middlesex bat again, the hosts remain firm favourites to wrap up a comprehensive victory.

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