Departing:

Middlesex sank to a dismal defeat by 111 runs in their final match of the season against Worcestershire, who now have an outside chance of promotion depending on other results. Moeen Ali failed in his quest to score a century at Lord’s. He added a twelfth four to the eleven he hit yesterday, before edging Toby Roland-Jones to wicket-keeper John Simpson for 81, made from just 106 balls.

Worcestershire added 61 to their overnight total. Gareth Andrew made 73 from 104 balls, batting at number 9 in the order. He hit ten fours and a six in his innings before being last out to an easy caught and bowled by the latest revelation from Middlesex’s conveyor belt of talented young players, Toby Roland-Jones. Andrew’s contribution was vital, but it also highlighted a weakness in Middlesex’s line-up.

A number 9 batsman should not have made 73 and certainly not with eleven boundaries. Roland-Jones took 5 for 83 from 19.1 overs and Pedro Collins 3 for 63 from 17 overs on his farewell appearance for Middlesex. It was also the last appearance that Owais Shah would play for the club.  He was allowed to lead Middlesex onto the field and told us how that made him feel.

“Yeah very nice,” Shah said on being invited to lead the team out. “Again very proud that the captain allowed me to lead the team out. He obviously realised what I’ve done for the club and yeah I’m really happy. I really appreciate what the team’s done for me this game and how the crowd were. Everyone’s been magnificent.”

Error of Judgment:

He took a wicket yesterday and there was a run out, but front-line bowlers Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh were wicketless. They bowled 17 overs between them for 71 runs, but While Neil Dexter is learning captaincy the attack was unbalanced. Shah is an occasional bowler, but was the only spinning option. Whay was that? “I don’t know,” Shah said. “You’re going to have to speak to the captain about that. He picks the team along with the coach, so I don’t know.”

But should they have a front-line spinner? “Of course, yes,” said Shah. “We see the wicket turn a fair bit and I think we need at least one spinner with me being part time. I did a bit of a job, but obviously we needed a spinner, so yes.” He doesn’t consider himself to be  genuine all-rounder. “Hope to be one would probably be appropriate for me,” Shah says. “I’m not that good a bowler. I don’t probably work as hard as I should do perhapd, but then again I don’t class myself as an all-rounder, so I need to work on it. I’m definitely a part time bowler.”

Once again the opposition’s tail wagged. Worcestershire was dismissed for 256, having made 108 for the last three wickets – 73 – by the number 9, which enabled them to set Middlesex a target of 178 to win. It should have been comfortable even on a turning pitch, but Neil Dexter’s selection error was exposed by the brilliance of Shakib al-Hasan.

Pitiful:

“It was spinning quite nicely,” Moeen Ali told us yesterday. “It’s a good batting wicket, but also it spun a lot. Obviously me and Shakib [al-Hasan] and the seamers can chip in with some wickets.”

Alan Richardson was left stranded on 10. Worcestershire added 61 runs to their overnight total.

Roland-Jones’ tally made him the joint highest wicket-taker for Middlesex in first class cricket this season with Tim Murtagh, despite bowling the fewest balls of the leading contenders. Middlesex got off to an awful start as Simpson was trapped leg-before wicket for a duck by Richardson.

That brought Owais Shah to the crease for the last time as a Middlesex batsman. He received a rousing reception from the few spectators that came to witness his farewell to Lord’s.

“It was nice to see that people really really admire or were happy for me to show their appreciation of me after all the years I’ve spent here playing for Middlesex,” said Shah. “It was very nice, very proud that I could walk off here at Lord’s to a very warm reception. It was very nice.

Scott Newman was caught by Darcy Mitchell for 12. It was Richardson’s second wicket tha tleft the hosts reeling at 22 for 2. It was time for the Shakib show to begin. Eleven runs later Dawid Malan was outwitted by Shakib al-Hasan, bowled for 2.

Abject Display:

Shortly after lunch Shakib trapped Daniel Housego lbw for 4. Neil Dexter came to the crease with his team in trouble at 37 for 4. Shah’s final innings ended with an unnecessary slog that was caught by Shantry. Shakib had his man for 24. Lord’s rose to salute Shah who acknowledged the ovation. Gareth Berg fell for a rapid duck to Shakib in the same over, caught by Darcy Mitchell. At 54 for 6 Middlesex was staring down the barrel of an embarrassing defeat.

A poor batting display became abject as Shakib claimed a 5-for at Lord’s as Murtagh also departed for a duck, caught by Richardson. 54 for 7. Roland-Jones could not repeat his heroics with the bat. He fell to Shakib, lbw, playing back to the Bangladeshi all-rounder. At 58 for 8 the end was nigh.

Eight runs later Dexter was caught by Vikram Solanki at backward short-leg for 21. Ali was the bowler. 66 for 9 became 66 all out as Steven Finn was caught behind by Ben Cox for 1. Shakib al-Hasan finished with 7 for 32 from 11.1 overs – brilliant bowling.

Brilliance:

“Yes it was special to do it here,” Shakib told us. “I took six against Surrey at New Road earlier, but this is the best.” Shah paid tribute to the Bangladeshi all-rounder’s contribution. “Shakib al-Hasan on a turning track got seven for nothing and won the game for his team – just shows you the value of a spinner, especially at Lord’s, where the wicket can be dry at the end of a summer and can win you games,” Shah said. “Any spinner really – a good spinner – is quite important to a team. I think Shakib showed that really well when the conditions were in his favour.”

The batting was abject – a dismal way to end the season. “I think first and foremost I just wanted to try and go out on a high and yes, very disappointed obviously we lost the game today,” said Shah. “It just goes to show that we – I say we because I still feel very much part of Middlesex and we've got a lot of work to do come the next summer. I think these are the type of games that we need to be winning, not end up on the losing side, but we need to work harder and do well in these sort of games.”

They’ll have to do it without a batsman who while only 31 featured in the first team for over a deecade.  “It’s nice to finish on a high with three figures to my name, but yes I’m sad to be leaving here,” said Shah.