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It was a day to forget for Middlesex, who took the field on Day 2 of the County Championship Division One against Essex after a batting collapse that accounted for a very poor first innings by the English county team.
After being given a score of 266 courtesy of Dan Lawrence and his 105 runs off 204 balls and Essex's top order's performance, but it was a completely opposite showing by the Middlesex top order. Jamie Porter took the game to their opponents and dismissed three of the four Middlesex batters in the top three — for 0 runs!
Sam Robson was caught lbw on the first ball of Middlesex's innings and then Pieter Malan was bowled with the third. Australia batter Stephen Eskinazi was caught down the leg side on the 16th ball of the over by wicketkeeper by Adam Rossington, just after Sam Cook got Mark Stoneman was caught behind by Alastair Cook.
This was happening for the first time in 48 years in County Cricket. It happened during a match between Surrey County and Lancastershire. During the second innings of their game, the Surrey top-order were dismissed for 0 runs, with two wickets divided between former England Test cricketer Peter Lever and his bowling compatriot Peter Lee.
Eventually, on the 20th ball of the over the Middlesex batters finally managed to get some runs on the board. Max Holden had the honour of doing so, but not for long after he was also sent back to the pavilion courtesy of a low catch by Simon Harmer to give Porter his fourth wicket.
But they came back well, with a 127-run stand between Ryan Higgins (63) and John Simpson (70), before Simon Harmer clean bowled the latter. This inevitably ended their challenge as 9 of the 11 Middlesex batters were dismissed for single digits, with five ducks as well.
Porter picked up his first fifer of the season and finished the Middlesex batting line-up with six for 35 as Middlesex were restricted by 170 runs in 63.3 overs, trailing Essex's score by 96 runs.
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