LV= Insurance County Championship
Middlesex 103-0, Sussex 523 all out
Cheteshwar Pujara’s third double century of the season etched him deep into Sussex folklore on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Middlesex at Lord’s.
The Indian international became the first Sussex batter to make a double century against Middlesex at Lord’s.
The last Sussex batter to achieve 200 at the home of cricket was his fellow countryman Colonel HH Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II while playing against the MCC 125 years ago.
Pujara, whose marathon effort, which had begun 24 hours earlier during London’s hottest day on record, batted almost nine hours before being last out, having steered his side to 523 – so eclipsing Sussex’s previous best score at Lord’s of 522 set in 2005.
Tom Helm emerged from the carnage with five for 109, his fourth five-wicket haul in Middlesex colours.
Against a largely inexperience bowling attack, Middlesex made a positive start in reply, reaching 103 without loss at stumps, Mark Stoneman on 47 and Sam Robson 45.
At a time where there is so much talk of “Bazball”, Pujara reminded us of the merits of a classical innings, demanding concentration, technique and a purity of stroke-play.
His overnight partner Oli Carter soon departed lbw to Toby Roland-Jones and when Delray Rawlins fenced one from Helm into the hands of Luke Hollman at gully, the visitors were 346-6.
Perhaps fatigued by his efforts 24 hours earlier, Pujara was subdued throughout the morning, twice chastening himself for loose strokes.
But helped by youngster Danial Ibrahim, who showed maturity beyond his 17 years, he regathered himself and dug in once more. The pair added 68 either side of lunch before Roland Jones trapped Ibrahim for an invaluable 36.
If Middlesex, who’d put Sussex in on day one, thought their torture was over they were wrong as Pujara found another ally in debutant Aristides Karvelas.
The 28-year-old, who became a Greek international only last week, blocked up an end allowing Pujara to reach 150 in 400 minutes after which the shackles came off.
He greeted the return of Hollman by hoisting him into the Compton Stand. His one life on day two came on 175 when John Simpson, standing up to the stumps to Tim Murtagh failed to hold on to a thin edge
The escape allowed Pujara and Karvelas to add 50 before the latter gave Murtagh recompense by hooking him down the throat of deep square.
There was a lovely ovation for former Middlesex man Finn, who allowed Pujara to forge on towards the double century mark.
There were no nervous 190s as he twice in an over drove Murtagh through mid-off for four before a single dropped into the on-side led to another ovation.
Finn was finally stumped, but there was time for a third six before Pujara just failed to make red ink, perishing in the grand manner to give Helm his fifth scalp.
After 160 overs plus in the field and needing 374 to save the follow-on, Robson was given a life on 15 when wicketkeeper Oli Carter dropped a dolly which would have given Karvelas a first County Championship wicket.
Scare survived, both he and Stoneman had individual half centuries in sight at the close.
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Middlesex seamer Tom Helm said: “It was definitely the hardest earnt of my five-wicket hauls and certainly the hottest.
“I wouldn’t say anything has changed or that I feel any different (about red-ball bowling), but I’ve done better this year.
“I started my career as a red-ball bowler and then moved towards white-ball and got a bit pigeon-holed. Now I’d like to think I’m in the middle of them somewhere.
“It will take some interesting cricket to produce a positive result here. But there’s a lot of time left and while the wicket looks pretty good there were still balls that got people out.”
Sussex batter Tom Alsop said: “Cheteshwar (Pujara) has said he doesn’t really keep count on his runs, so I doubt he’ll know (he’s the first Sussex batter to score 200 against Middlesex at Lord’s), but he’s a fantastic player.
“We talk about having world-class basics and for me it’s not only his technical ability but his mental strength, to be able to concentrate and get back into each ball. His method and routine is second to none really.
“It’s been testing conditions with the heat and the pitch, but there were a few which gripped out there tonight for Archie (Lenham). Delray is always a handful and makes things happen.
“Ari (Karvelas) bowled beautifully in patches and was unlucky not to get his reward and then there’s Finny (Steve Finn) with his class over the years, so we’ll try again tomorrow.”
