TIM MURTAGH reached 75 first-class wickets for the season as Middlesex closed in on victory against Leicestershire at Lord’s.

‘Dial M’ took two crucial wickets after tea as the hosts gradually wore down the second division’s bottom club, who made a much better fist of a docile pitch than in their first dig Wednesday.

And with the visitors just five ahead with only three wickets remaining, Murtagh (pic) and company expect to wrap up a maximum points and go top of the table – for a few hours at least.

As expected, captain Chris Rogers enforced the follow-on. But it was the 14th over before the hosts made the breakthrough when Steven Crook got one to nip back down the slope from the pavilion end to uproot Will Jefferson’s off stump.

It was almost lunchtime when the Lord’s tenants picked up their next reward as Matthew Boyce was adjudged LBW to Collymore for 31.

The decision appeared harsh on the gritty Foxes’ opener as the ball looked to be going over the top.

If fortune went Middlesex’s way then, the boot was on the other foot just after the resumption when Crook was convinced he had James Taylor caught behind by Simpson on one, but umpire Neil Mallender was unmoved.

Taylor and Greg Smith then proceeded to bat throughout the afternoon session and raise a century stand against a home attack in which Toby Roland-Jones especially, bowled far too short.

Smith survived two difficult moments in successive overs, the first on 38 when he ballooned an attempted pull in the air off Roland-Jones, but none of three converging fielders could make the catch.

In the following over, he was Lady Luck smiled again as he edged a turning ball from Ollie Rayner only to see the ball bounce off Simpson’s gloves and Jamie Dalrymple at slip missed the deflection.

Smith breathed a sigh of relief and moved to 50 off 87 balls, while Taylor also got to 50 from 99 deliveries.

The stand had reached 132 when Murtagh, on at the pavilion end after tea caused Smith on 85 to bottom edge an attempted pull onto his stumps.

Joshua Cobb came in on a pair and edged his first ball just short of wicketkeeper Simpson.

He would eventually make 15, before he became the first of two wickets in successive overs for Roland-Jones as the young Middlesex quick forced him to nick one through to Simpson.

Ned Eckersley fell in similar fashion for nought in the following over and Wayne White followed for 12 trapped LBW by the impressive Collymore.

When Murtagh strangled Taylor out down the leg side for 84 with the score on 267, an innings win in three days looked likely.

But Robert Taylor and Jigar Naik batted through to delay the victory celebrations.