LEUS Du Plooy’s 25th first-class ton put Middlesex in a commanding position over Gloucestershire, as the hosts made 445/9 declared in the first innings, and lead by 329 runs at the end of Day Two.
The South African born batter hit 180 and combined with Joe Cracknell throughout the morning session for a 181 run sixth wicket partnership, the latter being dismissed for 97, just before the lunch break.
The Middlesex captain’s 180, along with his 263 unbeaten in the final game of last season, against the same opponent, meant that it took Gloucestershire 443 runs before finally dismissing the left-hander.
Toby Roland-Jones then cleaned bowled the Gloucestershire top three, either side of the tea break, before a 90 run 4th wicket partnership between Miles Hammond and Oliver Price was broken on the final ball of play by Naavya Sharma, but brought the visitors to the relative safety of 116 for 4 at the end of the day.
Morning Session
It took 11 balls of the morning session for Du Plooy to collect the two runs that he needed for his century, as quick singles into the off and leg-side gave the Middlesex captain his 25th first-class hundred.
Similarly to Day 1, run-scoring was not easy at the start of play with Gloucestershire regularly beating the edge, as Middlesex got the 21 runs needed to cross the 300 run-mark after 32 minutes and 46 balls of play.
That didn’t last long though, with the pitch soon quickening up, allowing Du Plooy to hit several crisp shots through the off-side for four, including a majestic square drive for six, as Middlesex upped the scoring.
Middlesex’s onslaught continued as Du Plooy raced past 150 before Cracknell joined in on the fun and smacked the ball to all parts of Lord’s as the hosts crossed 350, with 30 minutes left until lunch.
Gloucestershire finally had joy just before the interval, when Graeme van Buuren knocked back middle stump with a ripper that turned from leg, as Cracknell fell just three short of a second first-class hundred.
Spinners, Van Buuren and Price, closed out the morning session for Gloucestershire, as new batter Zafar Gohar joined Du Plooy, who was unbeaten on 160, with the hosts going into lunch on 382 for 6.
Afternoon Session
More runs followed after the lunch break, as Gohar punished Gloucestershire with boundaries square of the wicket on both sides, leading Middlesex past 400 runs, inside just four overs of the restart.
Following a little squeeze from the Gloucestershire spinners, Gohar tamely chipped an innocuous leg-stump half volley from Price, straight into the hands of Joe Phillips at short mid-wicket for 26.
The squeeze continued, as this time it was Hammond’s off spin making a double breakthrough in his first over of the game, when he struck Du Plooy’s middle stumps for a mammoth 182, before pinning Toby Roland-Jones lbw with Middlesex then declaring on 445-9.
A probing start from Middlesex’s seamers resulted in Roland-Jones picking up the early wickets of Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth, both bowled, as Gloucestershire went into the tea break 17-2.
Evening Session
Roland-Jones picked up where he had left off before tea, as he yet again nipped one down the slope to beat the inside-edge of Phillips and put Gloucestershire on 26-3, his third bowled dismissal of the innings.
Middlesex’s bowlers continued their immaculate control of line and length throughout the session, taking a gritty partnership from Price and Hammond to put Gloucestershire past the 50 mark in the 26th over.
The slow going from Gloucestershire carried on deep into the evening session as Price hit his first boundary from the 66th ball of his innings, also bringing up the fifty partnership from 136 deliveries.
With the partnership now well underway, both batters began to open up and find the boundary rope on more regular occurrences, as Hammond crossed fifty and Gloucestershire passed 100, just before stumps.
Gloucestershire stood firm, until the final ball of the day, when Price tamely pulled a short ball straight to Max Holden at square leg, out for 29 and giving Sharma his first wicket of the game. Hammond finished the day unbeaten on 59, with the visitors 116 for 4, still trailing by 329 runs.
