Adam Voges’ fifteenth first class century consolidated Nottinghamshire’s position of strength on the second day of the LV= County Championship match against Middlesex at Uxbridge.
His 105, backing up scores of 71 from Chris Read and 50 from Michael Lumb, took the visitors to an all out total of 329. Heavy rain set in at tea preventing Middlesex from starting their second innings with a deficit of 231.
For Voges, it was a day of great satisfaction.
“I’m very pleased to get a three-figure score and we went along nicely and have a handy first innings lead now,” he said.
“It certainly wasn’t my best hundred but I’m happy because it was hard graft out there today and to come out the other side with a score is great." Adam Voges
“Weather-permitting we can get the ten wickets we need and get the win.
“It certainly wasn’t my best hundred but I’m happy because it was hard graft out there today and to come out the other side with a score is great. There’s still plenty in it for the bowlers if they put the ball in the right areas and I know that Andre is licking his lips at the prospect of bowling to all their left-handers again.”
Resuming from their overnight position of 114-4, Lumb and Voges gradually worked their way into the morning session, taking whatever was on offer and happy to survive a couple of early scares.
On 15 Voges edged Toby Roland-Jones and was relived to see the ball reach the third man fence having bisected first slip Andrew Strauss and second slip Ollie Rayner.
Looking for an easy leg-side single Lumb almost got in trouble as the same bowler fielded smartly off his own bowling and narrowly missed the stumps as the left-hander scrambled to regain his ground.
Those alarms apart, it was a relatively smooth opening 45 minutes as Lumb reached his fifty from 115 deliveries with 5 fours.
Shortly afterwards, on the same score, he perished courtesy of a fine low catch by Simpson after Murtagh had glanced one off the outside edge.
Chris Read was quickly into his stride and supported Voges, firstly through to an initial batting point and then to lunch, with an unbroken stand of 64.
The Australian’s own fifty had come from exactly 100 balls faced, with six boundaries – most of them high-quality drives down the ground.
Whether by accident or design, the afternoon began with a flurry of runs as Middlesex looked to use up the remaining overs before the taking of the second new ball.
Ninety runs came in fifty minutes as Read passed his half century (76 balls 3x4). The pair had added 143 together before the home side gained some relief from the onslaught.
On 71 the Notts captain miscued a delivery from Roland-Jones and skied a simple caught and bowled.
Voges then reached three figures (167 balls 11x4) whereupon the innings folded fairly quickly.
Ben Phillips (6) edged Roland-Jones to Rayner at slip, Adams (10) hit a six and a four from his first two deliveries, was dropped from his third and played on to his fourth.
Murtagh eventually got rid of Voges (105) with the help of Simpson’s fifth catch behind the stumps and then Gurney (4) was given out lbw.
Andy Carter (10 not out) showed some late defiance with the second six of the innings as Notts closed on 329.
Murtagh with 4-87 and Roland-Jones (4-102) had shouldered the bulk of the bowling effort for the home side, who will hope the inclement weather hangs around for the next couple of days.