Middlesex 306 for 7 (Voges 98, Gubbins 92, Gregory 4-93) trail Somerset 408 (Hildreth 187, Trescothick 140, Harris 5-83) by 102 runs
Scorecard
Adam Voges and Nick Gubbins are at opposite ends of their careers but they combined to move Middlesex back into the contest on the second day at Taunton. Both were dismissed in the 90s and both will reflect on opportunities missed for their first centuries for Middlesex. Their stand of 139 for the third wicket helped the visitors mount a steady reply but fears over the solidity of their batting line up were renewed as they lost five wickets after tea to close facing a first-innings deficit.
Jamie Overton, at 21, is tipped among the next generation of England fast bowlers. He is used in short bursts and after an initial quick four-over spell in the evening session where he removed Gubbins, he returned in the last knockings of the day to clean bowl both John Simpson and Ollie Rayner to tip the balance of the match back to the hosts.
For much of the day, with the weather and entertainment value of the second afternoon in stark contrast to the first, a 38-over partnership between Voges and Gubbins did justice to the work of their bowlers on the first evening. Their defiance was welcome for Middlesex, who were bowled out for just 181 in the first innings against Durham, entailing a lengthy rearguard from the lower order on the final day to rescue a draw.
Voges' plans for 2015 were dramatically altered by his call up to the Australian Test squad but he was determined to honour as much of his deal with Middlesex as was possible. It only amounts to four matches but he has began well with 75 to contribute to a battling draw against Notts and 98 here.
Gubbins, the 21-year-old left-hander, impressed during four Championship matches last season with three half-centuries in his first four matches, including 95 against Somerset at Uxbridge, when he ran himself out. But after a composed innings here, was dismissed in the 90s again, having cruelly been forced to resume after a lengthy delay for rain and bad light only nine short of a century.
He faced another exciting youngster in Overton who steamed in from the pavilion end for a sharp four-over spell on resumption. He put Gubbins on his backside avoiding a sharp bumper, then hit him, painfully it appeared, on the thigh before forcing an edge to second slip with a rising delivery, caught low by Marcus Trescothick. Gubbins hung his head in disappointment. He said it was the quickest spell he has encountered since facing Tymal Mills.
Voges dealt more comfortably with Overton, smartly fending off a short ball past gully and cutting another boundary backward of square in the manner of James Hildreth on day one. Middlesex looked to be closing the second day in good shape to reach parity but Overton changed ends and took the second new ball to take out Simpson and Rayner.
Their position would not have been as strong had either set batsman advanced their strong positions. Voges also fell narrowly short of a century, lbw to Lewis Gregory, one of his four wickets. Gregory impressed last season with 43 Championship wickets at 26.06. In the morning he also had Sam Robson caught at second slip to the second ball of the day and Nick Compton, who edged behind and looked very unhappy with the decision by Alex Wharf.
Thereafter, Voges and Gubbins ticked over under heavy skies. There were few crashing boundaries of day one but Gubbins did pull two sixes into the Somerset stand off Gregory.
The break for poor weather worked in the hosts favour. 17 overs were lost either side of tea which gave way to a competitive final session of 31 overs where Somerset took five wickets to raise hopes of a first innings lead. As Middlesex demonstrated on the first evening, a run of wickets is possible on a wicket offering some assistance to the bowlers. A result remains alive.
