Ben Coad helps Yorkshire CCC cling on to hope at the home of cricket

With Jordan Thompson, who captured 5-80, Coad kept Yorkshire in the game as the hosts - 84-2 going into day two - achieved a first innings lead of 87.

He returned 4-59 from 20 overs and then struck an unbeaten 38 from the No 9 position, from just 28 balls with seven fours, as Yorkshire closed the day on 216-7, a nuisance lead of 129.

Coad shared 52 for the eighth wicket with George Hill, who played superbly for an undefeated 52 from 125 deliveries with seven fours.

Hill’s was the highest score of the contest to date and his judgment of when to attack and when to defend was impeccable.

When play finally finished at 7.20pm, with overs made up from the rain-affected first day, Yorkshire had given themselves a sniff after they had been in some difficulty at 83-5 - the deficit still not cleared - when Joe Root was out.

Hill and Jonny Tattersall then added 41, and Hill and Thompson 40, before the eighth-wicket stand frustrated the hosts.

Just as Yorkshire had the better of the final hour or so, with the home of cricket bathed in evening sunshine, so they enjoyed the better of the ‘big first hour’.

They claimed five wickets in that time - three to Coad, two to Thompson - as Middlesex fell to 136-7, at which point Yorkshire were eyeing an improbable lead.

Coad bowled Ryan Higgins and Leus du Plooy with fine deliveries and then trapped Jack Davies lbw to take the seventh Middlesex wicket, the 30-year-old starting the day with a 10-over burst that yielded 3-24.

Having bowled Nathan Fernandes on the first evening, Thompson had Mark Stoneman and Stephen Eskinazi brilliantly caught low down at second slip by Adam Lyth before returning to have Toby Roland-Jones caught-and-bowled and then bowling Ethan Bamber to just pip Coad to the five-wicket haul.

Du Plooy (51) and Josh de Caires (50) led the way for Middlesex, batting with great positivity.

Du Plooy advanced to the seamers on several occasions, often to thrilling effect, while de Caires played some lovely shots too, sharing in a key stand of 56 for the eighth wicket with Roland-Jones and then one of 41 with Tom Helm, ended when Coad - who else? - had de Caires caught behind from another fine delivery.

After their first innings collapse from 64-1 to 98-7, albeit in more helpful bowling conditions, it seemed unlikely that Yorkshire would struggle to that extent again, but they made a discouraging start in slipping to 13-2 in their second attempt.

Lyth was superbly caught by de Caires low to his right at first slip off Roland-Jones, the fielder hurting himself in the process, and Shan Masood went leg-before to the same bowler.

Fin Bean and Root brought some calm to proceedings, sharing 46 inside 16 overs before Bean perished on the stroke of tea, lbw to Ryan Higgins as he played around his front pad.

The medium-pacer struck again with the first ball after the break – and this time it was the prized scalp of Harry Brook, lbw for a golden duck.

Much appeared to depend on Root, who played well for 32 before miscuing a pull off Roland-Jones to de Caires in the cordon, but Yorkshire rallied impressively towards the end.