Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood (day one)

Middlesex 139-3: Hollman 54*; Anderson 2-30

Lancashire: Yet to bat

Lancashire 1 pt, Middlesex 0 pts

Match scorecard

Luke Hollman rained on Sir James Anderson’s parade as Middlesex reached 139-3 on a murky, rain-reduced opening day of the Division Two clash between Middlesex and Lancashire at Merchant Taylors’ School.

Anderson returned from a two-month absence with a calf problem to lead a Red Rose County attempting to avoid one of the worst County Championship finishes in its history.

Displaying all the craft of his 44 years, Anderson took two early wickets on route to 2-30 on a day where only 39 overs were bowled due to rain and bad light.

However, Hollman, pressed into service as an opener for the second match in succession, passed 50 for the 10th time in his first-class career, finishing on 54 not out to lead Middlesex to calmer waters before the weather closed in.

The toss made at 10:45am was won by Middlesex who chose to bat, but morning rain meant they didn’t make it to the crease until 2:10pm.

Under gloomy skies Hollman had the temerity to twice on-drive Anderson for four, but it didn’t take Sir Jimmy long to make the ball talk. Sam Robson survived one strangled appeal after being wrapped on the pad, but Anderson had his number next ball as the former England opener inside-edged one into his off-stump.

Now in the groove, Anderson struck again in his next over, producing a beauty which jagged back off the seam between bat and pad to bowl Max Holden for a duck.

Hollman and skipper Leus du Plooy managed to negotiate the rest of his six-over spell, keeping the scoreboard moving by trading almost exclusively in boundaries. The former punched one square off the back foot, while du Plooy caressed three fours through the covers before swatting a short one from Ben Walkden dismissively over mid-wicket.

The pair rattled up a stand of 72 in good time before, with tea imminent, du Plooy swished at a full ball from George Balderson and was caught at slip.

Hollman responded with three consecutive cover boundaries before the interval, and despite Anderson being revived by tea-time, he reached his 50 shortly after the resumption, complete with 11 fours.

With Ben Geddes driving fluently at the other end, particularly through the cover region, Anderson’s post-tea spell was repelled and the 50 partnership was in sight when bad light intervened for a final time.

Report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.