Malan stakes Ashes claim with unbeaten 177

At Derby Middlesex (436-6) trail Derbyshire (557-6 dec) by 121 runs

Dawid Malan kept himself in Ashes contention with a batting masterclass to blunt Derbyshire’s victory hopes against Middlesex.

The Middlesex captain played superbly at Derby to score an unbeaten 177 to take his side past the 408 follow-on target as the visitors closed day three 121 runs behind.

John Simpson gave him excellent support with 91 not out as the pair shared an unbroken stand of 186.

The home side took only three wickets, one of them to Fynn Hudson-prentice, who became only the fifth bowler in Derbyshire’s history to strike with his first ball in firstclass cricket for the county.

Malan went out to resume his innings knowing a lot rested on him and from the start, he set a tone of defiance with an impressive display of concentration and selectivity.

Steven Finn fulfilled his nightwatchman duties by staying with his captain for the first 35 minutes of the day before Logan van Beek knocked out his leg stump and, although Max Holden struggled, he hung around for 73 minutes.

There was little he could do about the ball that removed him as Hudson-prentice found late movement to become the first player since John Wright in 1980 to strike with his first ball.

George Scott failed to get over a drive at Ravi Rampaul and saw a thick edge fly low to third slip.

At 250 for six, another 158 runs were needed to avoid the followon, but Simpson matched Malan’s application to take Middlesex to tea and beyond.

Malan completed his third championship century of the season from 200 balls and there was little for the bowlers once the second new ball lost its hardness.

Simpson completed a deserved 50 from 138 balls, shortly before Malan went to 150 off 302 balls.

Leus du Plooy became the eighth bowler used during the day, but nothing could part Malan and Simpson, who went past Middlesex’s previous best seventhwicket stand of 146 at Lord’s in 1932.