Surrey are in a strong position heading into the final day at The Kia Oval after building a first innings lead of 171 runs
Jamie Smith made 97 and their last three wickets added 97 to swell their total to 380 before Middlesex lost Sam Robson and Mark Stoneman in successive overs after an opening stand of 51. Steve Eskinazi fell just before the close with Middlesex 128 for 3 at stumps, still 43 behind.
Smith batted superbly during the morning and looked certain to score his first century of the season. But tied down by leg-spinner Luke Hollman, he came a couple of yards down the pitch looking to clear mid-wicket and was beaten in the flight, allowing John Simpson to complete an easy stumping.
Until that indiscretion the 22-year-old hardly played a false shot and was particularly punishing on the unusually out of sorts Toby Roland-Jones. He greeted the Middlesex skipper’s introduction into the attack by carving his second ball to the point boundary before driving the next delivery through long off for four.
Boundaries off successive deliveries from Roland-Jones took Smith into the 90s but Hollman, bowling the first spin in the match 20 minutes before lunch on the third day, succeeded in tying him down. Smith hit a six and 15 fours and faced 187 balls.
Middlesex had plugged away throughout the morning session. Tim Murtagh found a thin outside edge with the sixth ball of the day to remove Ben Foakes (22) and the impressive Ethan Bamber, who’d earlier been deposited over long on for six by Will Jacks, hit back to bowl Jacks through the gate for 27.
When Bamber was taken off at the pavilion end his replacement Ryan Higgins offered Jordan Clark (12) some width and Clark slashed to backward point, but after Smith’s dismissal Surrey’s tail wagged.
Bamber bowled Gus Atkinson (13) via an inside edge but Sean Abbott looked at ease against the second new ball, hoisting Bamber over long on for six adding six boundaries in his 48. The Australian lost his leg stump trying to guide a straight ball from Murtagh down to third but Dan Worrall enjoyed himself at the end, the pick of his shots a drive over wide long-on off Higgins to bring up 350 and secure a third batting point.
Roland-Jones belatedly brought himself back on and ended the innings when Worrall (32) touched a bouncer to the wicketkeeper.
Robson, who top-scored with 76 in the first innings, and Stoneman launched the Middlesex response with a stand of 51. It wasn’t easy with the floodlights on and Worrall unfortunate not to be rewarded during a probing seven-over new-ball spell before Surrey struck twice in seven balls.
Abbott made the breakthrough in his fifth over with a quicker delivery which drew Robson (22) forward and found the edge as it nipped away off the seam. In the next over Atkinson went round the wicket and Stoneman (28) was right to be aggrieved to be given out caught behind by umpire Graham Lloyd when TV replays clearly showed he hadn’t hit the ball.
With Pieter Malan not able to bat until later in the innings after spending time off the field, Max Holden was promoted up the order. He was badly dropped by Jacks at second slip on 18 off Kemar Roach but added 57 with Eskinazi before Clark ended the stand in his third over when Eskinazi nicked off. Holden was unbeaten on 42 but Middlesex have work to do on the final day.
