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Stevie Eskinazi digs deep to restore Middlesex's hopes of rare victory

Stephen Eskinazi of Middlesex bats during the County Championship Division Two match against Lancashire at Lord's Getty Images

Middlesex 324 (Robson 154, Davis 5-66) and 176 for 7 (Eskinazi 53*) lead Leicestershire 228 (Ackermann 82, Inglis 49) by 272 runs

Stevie Eskinazi made an unexpected return from injury to score a vital half-century and strengthen Middlesex's hopes of forcing a rare LV= Insurance County Championship victory against Leicestershire.

Eskinazi, who had seemed unlikely to play any further part at Merchant Taylors' School after he pulled up in pain while batting on day one, emerged with a runner to salvage Middlesex's second innings after they crashed to 17 for 4.

The 27-year-old blunted the Leicestershire attack and top-scored with a gritty 53 not out as he and James Harris shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 77, lifting Middlesex to 176 for 7 at stumps - a lead of 272.

That leaves the Foxes, who were earlier dismissed for 228, with the prospect of chasing an awkward target on the final day.

Resuming on 174 for 5, Leicestershire chipped away at the deficit until the introduction of Daryl Mitchell paid immediate dividends, with both Ben Mike and Callum Parkinson caught behind.

Wicketkeeper Robbie White claimed his fourth catch of the innings when Ed Barnes, fuelled by the momentum of last week's career-best 83 not out against Somerset, misjudged an ambitious pull shot against Harris.

Foxes captain Colin Ackermann, having spent almost five and a half hours over his watchful 82, eventually fell to an Ethan Bamber delivery that swung away to hit off stump.

The Middlesex seamer finished with 3 for 54 when the diving Joe Cracknell caught last man Will Davis low at first slip - but the home side's lead of 96 was made to look flimsy as their top order crumbled second time around.

Davis added another three wickets to his five from the first innings, while Ackermann completed a trio of slip catches, the best of them at shoulder height to remove Josh de Caires.

However, Mitchell and White batted sensibly to repair the damage, adding 38 before the New Zealander was adjudged lbw to Mike despite the hint of an inside edge.

White, dropped early on by Davis at third slip, went on to make 34 and looked on course for a potential match-winning knock until he chipped Parkinson to backward square leg just before tea.

But Eskinazi, having taken almost half an hour to get off the mark, held firm and joined forces with Harris in a resolute stand that combined patience with good shot selection.

Barnes eventually pinned Harris lbw for 26 with an inswinging yorker, but Eskinazi carved the last ball of the day for four to bring up his half-century.

Leics 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st0LJ HillST Evans
2nd64MS HarrisLJ Hill
3rd8CN AckermannMS Harris
4th28CN AckermannJP Inglis
5th29JP InglisHJ Swindells
6th24JP InglisBWM Mike
7th0CF ParkinsonBWM Mike
8th8E BarnesBWM Mike
9th2A SakandeBWM Mike
10th8A SakandeWS Davis

County Championship

Division 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOTTS431068
LANCS421157
WARKS421156
HANTS421153
YORKS412140
SOM404014
Division 2
TeamMWLDPT
ESSEX430177
GLOUC431064
DURH311140
NHNTS412138
SUR301227
GLAM403123
Division 3
TeamMWLDPT
KENT440083
MIDDX431067
WORCS422049
LEICS412143
DERBS412142
SUSS404018
Group 1
TeamMWLDPT
NOTTS10424151
WARKS10415145
DURH10325132
ESSEX10325129
WORCS10136109
DERBS1005572
Group 2
TeamMWLDPT
SOM10415148
HANTS10424145
GLOUC10532131
SUR10226123
LEICS10244111
MIDDX1027184
Group 3
TeamMWLDPT
LANCS10415150
YORKS10514149
GLAM10226127
NHNTS10334123
KENT1003797
SUSS1015494