Day four: Middlesex (11pts) drew with Somerset (10)

‘Baby Strauss’ might have had reason to throw his toys out of the pram when he was run out five short of a maiden century.

Nick Gubbins is so called because he too went to Radley College like the former England and Middlesex captain, and was forced to trudge stoically back to the Uxbridge pavilion knowing a last-day win was still on.

The consolation was a best knock for the 20-year-old regardless, only in the team because Sam Robson was suffering with England at Trent Bridge.

The other man involved in the run out, Paul Stirling, then got involved in another mix-up with incoming Neil Dexter and the vice-captain was run out for just four.

Stirling sort of atoned when he reached his half-century with John Simpson scoring 29 off 27 balls and Middlesex declared to leave Somerset needing 390 off 72 overs.

The likelihood of result raised a glimmer of hope on a gloomy day when Eoin Morgan caught Marcus Trescothick off the bowling of Tim Murtagh.

And when Toby Roland-Jones took two wickets in the space of 10 balls, victory got sniffed by the Middlesex faithful.

However, once Nick Compton (83) and James Hildreth (60) buckled down to the task, the Somerset pair moved serenely on their way to the inevitable draw.