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Langer's resolve ended by HarrisPaul Bolton - 18 June 2000
Middlesex have become so dependent on runs from their captain, Justin Langer, that they are in danger of being perceived as a one-man team. The Australian left-hander had contributed 23 per cent of Middlesex's championship runs in their first five matches of the season and he increased it to almost a quarter in this game. Langer followed up his first-innings 96 with a majestic 104, his second century of the summer, but it was all in vain as Nottinghamshire wrapped up the victory, by 169 runs, that had appeared inevitable from the moment Middlesex crumbled on Thursday. At least Middlesex put up more spirited resistance second time around but they were still dismissed before tea, with Andrew Harris taking five for 34, his best return of the season, on a pitch that lost what little pace it ever had. It was Nottinghamshire's first win in 12 matches, since they also beat Middlesex last August, but Middlesex have now gone 11 months without a championship win and there appears to be no immediate prospect of them ending that barren run. Langer certainly carries a heavy burden whenever he goes to the crease but he could not have done more to deny Nottinghamshire. He made his intentions clear when he moved from nought to 20 in four balls from Richard Stemp, with two off-driven fours followed by two straight sixes, and he continued to drive and glide in a century which came in just over three hours. But there is only so much one man can do and when Langer steered Harris to Chris Read the game was up for Middlesex. In contrast, Nottinghamshire's victory was a solid team effort which included three outstanding individual performances from Harris and Paul Franks, who took seven first-innings wickets, with the ball, and Usman Afzaal, whose second-innings century put the game beyond Middlesex. © The Electronic Telegraph
Source: The Electronic Telegraph Editorial comments can be sent to The Electronic Telegraph at et@telegraph.co.uk |
