Browsing: Middlesex

Middlesex seam bowler Toby Roland-Jones has signed a one-year contract extension to 2026.

The club legend, 37, has played his entire career for the county since making his debut in 2010.

Roland-Jones claimed a hat-trick as Middlesex beat Yorkshire to seal their first Division One title for 2023 years in 2016.

In 157 first-class appearances for the club, he has taken 577 wickets at an average of 25.14.

“I’m delighted to sign an extension with the club, a place that has been home for 16 years and counting now,” Roland-Jones told the club’s website, external.

“I remain as motivated as ever to try and push the standards and restore the club back to its desired position, competing in Division One cricket whilst challenging for white-ball honours.

“It was a privilege to lead this great club, and I’m equally excited to slip back into the bowling ranks and assist the new leadership in any way possible.”

Roland-Jones was the second-highest wicket taker in County Championship Division Two last season with 45.

He took 4-57 in his side’s final match of the season against Gloucestershire as they finished fourth in the table.

Roland-Jones has five England caps, four in Test cricket plus a lone one-day international.

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Toby Roland-Jones claimed four wickets to round off Middlesex’s County Championship campaign in winning fashion as they ground down Gloucestershire on the final day at Lord’s.

The 37-year-old seamer finished with 4-57, ending the campaign as Division Two’s second highest wicket-taker behind Derbyshire’s Luis Reece to dismiss the visitors for 281 in their second innings, despite Ollie Price’s knock of 61.

Former Gloucestershire duo Zafar Gohar and Ryan Higgins backed up Roland-Jones with three and two wickets apiece as the Seaxes sealed an innings victory with 22 overs unused.

The result meant Middlesex finished fourth in the final table, 11 points short of the promotion places, with Gloucestershire in sixth.

Gloucestershire began the final day with nine wickets standing and rarely looked in danger of losing any more during the opening hour and a half where the ball swung, but not enough to cause genuine problems for Price and Joe Phillips.

Having dispatched Roland-Jones for two early boundaries and survived Noah Cornwell’s appeal for a catch down the leg-side, Price settled into the groove, advancing to his half-century from 91 balls.

It was teenage seamer Sebastian Morgan who eventually made the breakthrough, sending down three tight overs before switching to the Pavilion End and gaining immediate reward as he tempted Phillips to drive to gully.

Morgan might also have removed Miles Hammond, who edged just short of second slip, but the left-hander quickly gained rhythm with a series of fours as he and Price guided their side through to lunch.

However, Price’s return to the crease after the interval lasted one ball – a Roland-Jones delivery that kept low, nipped back and clattered into his off stump and, when James Bracey glanced Higgins behind without scoring, Gloucestershire were suddenly on the back foot again.

Having escaped when Morgan, leaping to his right at gully, could not cling onto a difficult chance, Hammond eventually perished to a similar stroke off Higgins to leave the visitors five down.

Graeme van Buuren, having taken 17 balls to get off the mark, sprang to life with a trio of boundaries off Roland-Jones and pounced on anything wide outside off stump as he and Jack Taylor added 49.

Gohar came on to dismiss his former county captain for 46, with Ben Geddes plunging forward at short leg to take a bat-pad catch, but the Taylor brothers steered their side into the final session.

Middlesex’s hopes were lifted again by the new ball, which brought Roland-Jones the wickets of Matt Taylor – and then his elder brother, one short of his half-century – both snapped up at second slip.

With Ajeet Singh Dale falling to Gohar, there was still time for Marchant de Lange to launch a brief, defiant counter-attack against the spinner, hitting 14 from three deliveries before he was caught behind.

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Graeme van Buuren, who signed a new contract earlier this week to remain at Gloucestershire until 2027, got under way with a cracking cover drive, bettered only by the one which took Bracey to 50, the wicketkeeper-batter raising his seasonal landmark in the process.

Van Buuren though didn’t stay long, bowled trying to cut one too close to him which cannoned off the inside edge, while Cornwell’s third wicket came courtesy of a poor umpiring decision, Jack Taylor adjudged caught behind, despite a chasm between bat and ball.

Bracey batted untroubled through until lunch but fell soon after the resumption as Gohar, switched to the Nursery End, found a fraction of turn to force a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell.

Ajeet Singh Dale came and went before Marchant de Lange and Matt Taylor entertained with a brisk stand of 44 for the ninth wicket, the former clubbing one from leg-spinner Luke Hollman over the ropes and twice hitting Gohar back over his head.

Gohar gained revenge by having him stumped to complete a five-wicket haul, leading to Daz Ahmed, hampered by a side strain while bowling, coming in with a runner to play his maiden first-class innings. Cleary in considerable pain, he batted out two overs from Gohar before Matt Taylor hooked Cornwell down the throat of long leg to end the innings.

Middlesex enforced the follow-on and soon removed Charlesworth caught behind off Roland-Jones but Joe Phillips and Ollie Price, the latter looking more at ease than he had earlier in the day, batted through until tea without further mishap.

Only one further over was possible before the murky light sent the players off, giving Gloucestershire hope of batting out a draw on the final day.

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Du Plooy chose to bat on winning the final toss of the campaign and the hosts made a quick start thanks to some wayward offerings from Gloucestershire’s new-ball attack.

It was a similarly innocuous delivery from Dale which brought the breakthrough, a leg-stump half-volley which Sam Robson sent straight to square leg.

If that was fortuitous, Dale produced a useful fourth stump ball in his next over that Josh De Caires nicked through to wicketkeeper James Bracey.

It would be the last success for some time as the bowlers erred in line and length, and du Plooy and Hollman feasted accordingly.

Three Hollman fours in one Matt Taylor over raised the 50, while Du Plooy was quickly into stride, driving confidently as he moved to his half-century from 56 balls shortly before lunch.

The hundred partnership came up in the first over following the resumption and while Dale was finding hints of both swing and seam from the Nursery End, the pair carried the score to 161-2 relatively untroubled.

It took a piece of brilliance from Bracey – who claimed a Gloucestershire record 11 victims against Middlesex in the corresponding fixture last season – to break the stand, grabbing a ball that was dying off the inside edge of Hollman’s bat, giving Dale a third wicket.

Higgins followed to his next ball, harshly adjudged lbw to one heading over the top, but Geddes joined his skipper in the middle as the hosts quickly regained the upper hand.

Geddes, impressive in his first season in Middlesex colours, employed the pull shot to great effect, sending a short one from Dale into the Grandstand, before a square drive took Du Plooy to a chanceless century.

Van Buuren put the breaks on either side of tea and was rewarded with the breakthrough when Geddes was pinned in front.

Du Plooy, however, glided his way past 150 as Cracknell proved a valuable ally, clearing the ropes with a thunderous pull shot and unfurling some pleasing cover drives in becoming the fourth home batter to pass 50 in the late autumn sunshine.

Match report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay

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