Matt Henry exploits Middlesex fragility as Somerset take control at Lord's

SHUBI ARUN AT LORD'S: The home side are 148 runs behind after two days and were asked to follow on by Somerset after being rolled on Friday afternoon

Lord's (second day of four): Somerset 404, Middlesex 175 & 81-1 - Middlesex trail by 148 runs with nine wickets remaining

Friday at Lord's belonged to Matt Henry. After blitzing 40 of 23 balls to carry Somerset over the 400 mark, he picked up two wickets in successive balls to leave an already wobbly Middlesex top-order hobbling at 20 for 2, ending proceedings with five wickets.

First, Mark Stoneman's off-stump was sent flying with a vicious inswinger and then Stephen Ezkinasi was left nonplussed by one that went the other way and ended up edging it behind.

It set the tone for the afternoon, with Middlesex dismissed for 175 and put back in again by Somerset. They finished the day at 81 for 1, 148 runs behind Somerset.

Barring Henry's early dismissals, the rest of the hosts' batting seemingly crumbled of their own accord. Sam Robson was caught down the legside. Ryan Higgins missed a full-toss while attempting to sweep Jack Leach and, shortly after, Luke Hollman reverse-swept another Leach delivery to first slip. You had to see it to believe it.

But perhaps Middlesex's batting performance was best epitomised by Max Holden's dismissal. After cracking two boundaries in successive balls of Henry to race to 17 of 16, he chose to leave an innocuous ball that rapped him clean in front of the stumps.

^{John Simpson made an unbeaten fifty (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

Middlesex batters got their runs in a flurry but their stay in the middle was fleeting; the run-rate hovered near four for most of the innings, but wickets fell at regular intervals. John Simpson was the lone shining light for the hosts, with an unbeaten 57 but he was unable to prevent the follow-on.

In many ways, Middlesex's showing was in line with what we've come to expect from them this season. Until the game against Somerset, they have averaged 206 in the first innings and across 10 innings, have failed to hit the 300 mark even once. They've accrued just one batting point, the joint-lowest in Division One with bottom-placed Northamptonshire, who incidentally were dismissed for 56 on Friday by Hampshire.

It wasn't as ignominious as the 4 for 4 in their opening game of the season against Essex, but it further highlighted Middlesex's batting as an Achilles heel. It would explain why they've opted to field each time they've won the toss this year; the two times they've been put in, they've posted scores of 209 and 149.

Their two wins this year have come at Lord's but it's largely been down to their bowling efforts. While opponents have averaged 320 at Lord's in the first innings, Middlesex average just 220.

While the pressure on their batting continues to mount, Simpson was quick to emphasise that there’s no "shortage of confidence" in the dressing room.

^{Luke Hollman fell to Jack Leach (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)}

"We don't listen to anything the media write or anything you say. What we do is based around the 11 blokes in the team, the 12th and 13th men and the coaching staff. That is all we concentrate on, ourselves. At the end of the day, we know where we are falling short and working hard to put it right," he said.

Put into bat again with 24 overs left in the day, Stoneman (45*) and Eskinazi (16*) dug in deep and displayed a grit that had been lacking in the first innings. It wasn't always pretty but, given what had preceded it, it was a decent effort.

Their last defeat by an innings came nearly four years ago, against Sussex in Division Two.

"Division One is a different challenge to a number of the group," he added. "It brings a different intensity and a different style of cricket and an opportunity for two or three guys to do something special.

"The beauty of it is tomorrow is a different day to take on the challenge on, which I know this group of lads can do."

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