Procter backing Northants to set up 'a tough chase' for relegation rivals Middlesex

The County go into day three on 55 for two in their second innings, still trailing their hosts by three runs, and Procter believes a 200-plus lead is going to be hard to achieve in the fourth innings of the match.

Northants did well to drag themselves back into the game on Tuesday, with Middlesex at one point sitting very pretty at 103 for one in reply to the County's modest first innings total of 219.But the bowlers came to the party in the afternoon, with Ben Sanderson and Rob Keogh both claiming three wickets, and Jack White and Tom Taylor two apiece, as Middlesex slipped to 277 all out - claiming only their second batting bonus point of the season.

The frustration for Northants will be the fact they allowed the last two wickets to add a precious 47 runs, with Ryan Higgins finishing on an excellent 64 not out.

Ricardo Vasconcelos (22) and Justin Broad (5) were then the batters to fall in the County's second innings, with Emilio Gay (21no) and Sam Whiteman (6no) the men who will walk to the crease with work to do on Wednesday morning.

"There wasn’t that much in scores between both sides even though we went about it different ways," said Procter.

"I think we are going to stick to our guns and do what we did best in the first innings and hopefully we can get a few more runs than we did.

“I personally feel anything over 200 will be a tough chase.”

And the skipper added: “Rob Keogh bowled really well, and hopefully he can get a few more tomorrow.

“Ryan Higgins is a good player and he played really well for them, so fair play to him. Hopefully we can dislodge him in the next innings.

“Emilio Gay showed some fight (in that last session), and he’s shown fight in both innings."

Middlesex all-rounder Higgins feels his team are in a good position with the match at the halfway stage.

“We just about managed to sneak a lead, so we are not in a bad place at the moment," said the all-rounder, who also claimed the two Northants wickets to fall.

“The wicket seems to be doing a bit still with a bit of up and down, so hopefully we can keep the chase down to as little as we can.

"There has been something in the pitch throughout these first two days whether that is a lack of bounce or on other occasions a bit of bounce.

“I think it’s been a good cricket wicket and with the Kookaburra ball it has meant batters have been more in the game than they may have been otherwise."

Quotes courtesy of Jon Batham