Pooley hits out for Middlesex

Middlesex showed just what a resilient side they are yesterday and why they cannot be disregarded as Championship contenders despite a wholesale rebuilding program. Yesterday, they simply did what they had to, which was to bowl Gloucestershire out and then take a lead by the close. They accomplished both with some ease and Gloucestershire now find themselves chasing the game.

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 18 runs, the London county began with an opening stand of 124. The pitch offered perceptibly less seam movement than on Thursday and neither Jason Pooley nor Paul Weekes looked at all troubled.

Possibly their left-handedness was a factor and with both batsmen stretching well forward, Kevin Cooper's probing swing, such a fertile source of wickets on Thursday, was neutered. While at the Pavilion End, Mike Smith's line with the new ball was a fraction too wide to force early mistakes.

After starting less surely than his partner, Pooley moved into overdrive, hitting Jonathan Lewis for three successive fours. Pooley has a reputation for having a shrewd cricketing brain. If so, his game plan when Jack Russell introduced the first over of spin - shortly after three o' clock - was more village blacksmith than Voltaire as Richard Davis's two overs of left-arm spin from the Nursery End cost 18 runs.

When Smith did get his line right, Weekes, uncertain about whether or not to leave the ball, edged to Davis at slip. A few balls later Pooley followed, bowled off his pads by a persevering Cooper, who looked as if he was about ready for a long soak in the bath.

This year, Middlesex hope to video every ball during the season, although the comprehensive coverage does rather rely on someone remembering to pop out every three hours to change the tape.

It may or may not prove instructive and an early viewer would probably have been John Carr, who looked more than a little befuddled as to how his off-stump had come to be knocked back after he had pushed well forward to Smith, who then promptly removed Keith Brown, caught off bat and pad at short-leg.

David Follett, on the other hand, would probably want a dozen copies run-off, the early part of the day proving a particular triumph for the Middlesex seamer. Before this match, Follett's career figures of 1-95, read like a batsman's wet dream. With Angus Fraser not moving as breezily as he had done the first evening, Follett impressively took command, finishing with 5-94, including the wicket of Jack Russell, who mis-hooked to Weekes at square-leg.

Any hopes Gloucestershire had of taking a substantial first innings lead, quickly departed when Andrew Symonds was out to the first ball he faced. That his side ended with any kind of lead at all was due to a whirlwind last wicket partnership between Davis and the No 11 Smith, who flayed seven fours in an innings that even warmed Gatting's hands after he dropped him on four, at slip.

A lengthy presence at the crease with Ramprakash today, ought to absolve him.