By David Slater
July 18 2002

Phil Tuffnel enjoyed an astonishing performence with the bat scoring 45, including four fours and two sixes, but he was the only Middlesex bowler with anything to shout about as Essex went from 7/3 to 293/4 at the close of play. Middlesex posted 89 runs before Phil came into bat as the crowd prepared for the Middlesex innings to end with the score at 467/9. But a Mr certain Phillip Clive Roderick Tuffnel had other ideas and soon hit the straight down the wicket for six. He followed up with another six and four fours either side of lunch.

When he was caught by Flower, Middlesex had reached 538. Three early wickets, one for Laramann and two for Abdur/Abdul, saw Essex stuggling at 7/3. But a partnership of 167 between Robinson and Irani helped Essex to close at 239/4, with Irani unbeaten on 109.

Middlesex 1st innings: Middlesex won toss

Middlesex 1st innings R M B 4 6
*AJ Strauss lbw b Dakin 1 7 3 0 0
SG Koenig c Cowan b Phillips 113 279 220 17 1
BL Hutton c Foster b Bishop 65 198 158 2 4
OA Shah lbw b Bishop 60 138 86 7 0
EC Joyce b Phillips 1 7 5 0 0
Abdur Razzaq lbw b Phillips 11 17 19 2 0
PN Weekes c Foster b Dakin 71 118 111 13 0
+DC Nash not out 81 219 166 10 0
SJ Cook lbw b Middlebrook 19 69 39 2 0
AW Laraman lbw b Phillips 21 23 18 5 0
PCR Tufnell c Flower b Dakin 45 44 37 4 2
Extras (b 12, lb 8, w 2, nb 28) 50
Total (all out, 141.2 overs) 538

Essex 1st innings R M B 4 6
DDJ Robinson lbw b Abdur Razzaq 73 152 117 14 0
WI Jefferson lbw b Laraman 0 5 2 0 0
A Habib b Abdur Razzaq 1 5 9 0 0
A Flower b Abdur Razzaq 0 1 2 0 0
*RC Irani not out 109 220 183 17 0
+JS Foster not out 33 81 82 7 0
Extras (b 1, nb 22) 23
Total (4 wickets, 64 overs) 239

To Bat: JM Dakin, JD Middlebrook, AP Cowan, TJ Phillips,
JE Bishop.