Middlesex will be generally satisfied with their opening performance in a game that they may well have won if rain hadn’t intervened on Day 3. That doesn’t mean that improvements cannot be made. Weekes’ all round performance was exceptional and Jamie Dalrymple has finally shown everyone that he can extend his prolific university batting ability to the county game. Nevertheless, Betts’ bowling was a shocker on debut, the matter being made even worse for the paceman by the fact that it was against the club he left in the winter in order to join Middlesex. In his 8 overs, he conceded 74 runs and bowled 8 no balls. Paul Hutchison will be waiting in the wings to replace Betts if such form continues and the former Yorkshire and Sussex players’ left arm seam may well feature in Tomorrow’s game against South London rivals Sorry. The slowness in our starts in both innings will not be a major concern just yet, particularly scene as Andrew Strauss will be able to return to the squad at the end of England’s one-day series in the Caribbean.

Middlesex first innings

Sven Koenig	c Wagh	b Richardson	10
Ben Hutton	c Frost	b Brown	30
*Owais Shah	c Wagh	b Brown	17
Ed Joyce	c Frost	b Carter	39
Paul Weeks		b Stephenson	118
Jamie Dalrymple	c Bell	b Pretourius	77
+David Nash	st Frost	b Wagh	55
Simon Cook	lbw	b Hogg	22
Melvyn Betts	Not out		31
Extras			33
Total	(for 8 wickets declared, 124.2 overs)		432

Did not bat: Chad Keegan, Nantie Hayward

Warwickshire first innings

*Knight	lbw	b Keegan	4
Wagh	c Nash	b Weekes	78
Bell	c Joyce	b Hayward	12
Trott	c Hutton	b Weekes	67
Troughton	c Betts	b Weekes	4
Brown		b Hayward	42
Hogg	lbw	b Weekes	41
+Frost	c Nash	b Keegan	4
Carter	c Weekes	b Keegan	18
Richardson	Not out		8
Pretourius	c &	b Weekes	1
Extras			28
Total	(all out, 70.4 overs)		317

Middlesex second innings

Sven Koenig	c Frost	b Carter	2
Ben Hutton	c Knight	b Trott	20
*Owais Shah	Not out		20
Ed Joyce	Not out		10
Extras			2
Total	(for 2 wickets declared, 23 overs)		54

Warwickshire second innings

*Knight	Not out		20
Wagh	Not out		24
Extras			0
Total	(for 0 wickets, 5 overs)		24

Result: Match Drawn Points: Middlesex 12, Warwickshire 9

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