Honours:

It was clearly the best day of the season for Middlesex. “I can’t think of any other day that’s been as good as that,” an elated Tim Murtagh told us after his best bowling return of the season helped his team to dominate his former employers. “Pretty much everything went to plan.

Having dismissed Surrey for a meagre 167 with former star batsman Mark Ramprakash, top-scoring with just 44, Middlesex’s batsmen took Surrey’s bowlers to task as well. By close of play Owais Shah was unbeaten on 44, having hit five fours and two sixes. He had faced just 47 balls. Dawid Malan was not out on 35 with power to add. The hosts were twelve runs ahead with eight wickets in hand.

The honours of the day belonged to Middlesex, as Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown quickly had cause to regret his decision to bat. The hosts reduced the cross-town visitors to 80 for 4 at lunch. Steven Davies was bowled by former Surrey right-arm fast-medium bowler Tim Murtagh for 24 before his new-ball partner, former Surrey and West Indies pace-man Pedro Collins stamped his authority on the session with two wickets.

39 for 1 soon became 43 for 3 as opening batsman Tom Lancefield was trapped leg before wicket for 15 by Collins. He repeated the dose first ball to Hamilton-Brown – also lbw – but missed the hat-trick. He was unfortunate not to add to his tally. The wicket may have been helpful, but Collins looked a different class as he beat the bat a few times without luck in that first session.

He even caused trouble to the veteran Mark Ramprakash before lunch. Toby Roland-Jones followed up his impressive match at Uxbridge with an early wicket, that of Usman Afzaal, also lbw, for 11. Ramprakash and Stewart Walters saw the visitors through to lunch and a chance to regroup.

It didn’t last long. After the break Ramprakash threatened to cut loose, even treating Collins with disdain as he gave a batting exhibition, passing 8000 runs between these counties when he passed 35 – an incredible feat. Collins, however, had the last laugh, splaying Ramprakash’s off-stump for 44.

Refusing to be left out Murtagh bowled Walters for 14 and then benefited from a superb catch by Josh Davey at backward-point to dismiss Gareth Batty for 15. Surrey were reeling at 142 for 7, but Murtagh had more in his locker, inducing an edge from Chris Tremlett that was snaffled by Middlesex captain Neil Dexter at second slip for 2.

At 167 for 8 Jade Dernbach fell throwing the bat. A top edge spooned up gently to Gareth Berg at gully. Murtagh got first opportunity to attempt a five-for, which he achieved as Matthew Spriegel bereft of partners was pouched by wicket-keeper John Simpson for 25. He took 5 for 52 from 14.3 overs, ably supported by Collins with 4 for 68 from 18. Murtagh wanted this 5-for. When Murtagh and Collins had four each and Murtagh had first opportunity to get the fifth wicket, did that enter  his mind at all?

“It did actually,” he says with a smile. “It normally doesn’t. You obviously want to take five wickets. That’s seen as a really good achievement, but it’s not something that I particularly strive for or want to have so many 5-fors. If I have a few wickets that’s brilliant, but today for some reason, it did matter a bit more that I got that fifth one, probably because I haven’t taken a 5-for against Surrey before. Obviously I played there for a number of years, so that was important and just coming back into the team after being left out last week, it was more important that I put my stamp on this game as well.”

Surrey’s entire innings lasted just over three hours – with the notable exception of Ramprakash, an abject display of batting. “The ball was swinging around a bit,” said Murtagh. “It was decent conditions to bowl in, but after what happened earlier – they played and missed a few times, a catch went down – I thought perhaps this is going to be hard work.”

Different Game:

Middlesex’s openers Scott Newman and John Simpson wiped out almost half the deficit for the first wicket. “I think they were a bit demoralised,” said Murtagh, “so when they came out to bowl, it’s almost as if the wicket’s not doing as much. It’s tough to come out once you’re out for such a low score, but I thought we played really well.” 

Simpson perished as he had thrived for 36, attempting to pull Jade Dernbach. A bottom-edge onto his stumps broke the partnership on 82. Simpson hit five boundaries including a six off Chris Tremlett. He waited for the short-pitched delivery, having already decided where it was going and dispatched it into the crowd. Newman was in the forties with his eyes set on a half-century. “We took the attack to them,” said Murtagh. “Scott Newman and John Simpson were watchful and then opened up a bit.”

Meanwhile, Middlesex posted their hundred from 176 balls without further mishap. Newman reached his half-century from 114 balls against his former team with seven fours. He has one First Class century – 112 against Northants – to his name so far, but threw the chance of another away, falling lbw to Batty for 54.

Shah has been criticised recently for his aptitude, but today he showed that when he is in the mood, he is an exceptional talent. Just as Murtagh and Collins dominated Surrey with the ball, Shah and Dawid Malan did so with the bat. “Ace [Owais Shah] and Dawid [Malan]  played really well, “ said Murtagh. Middlesex had cause to celebrate a job well done, but there was work to do tomorrow.

“Ideally we would want to bat most of tomorrow,” said Murtagh. “That’s the plan. It can change so quickly. The first hour tomorrow is really important. Ideally we wouldn’t want to lose any wickets, but get through to lunch relatively unscathed – just bat. There’s so much time left in the game that there’s no pressure to score runs quickly or anything like that, so I think just bat. That’s the plan.” tomorrow.