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Ryan Higgins found his form at just the right time to save Middlesex from defeat on the final day of the County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby.<\/p>\n
Higgins scored 56, his first 50 of the season, sharing a seventh wicket stand of 75 from 155 balls with Zahar Gohar who was unbeaten on 52 off 108 balls to take Middlesex to 307-7, 150 ahead, when the teams shook hands on a draw.<\/p>\n
Max Holden with 94 and Stephen Eskinazi, 61, had added 169 for the second wicket only to throw their wickets away in the last over before lunch.<\/p>\n
Derbyshire’s hopes lifted when the visitors slipped to 220-6 but Higgins and Gohar stood firm to deny them although the draw takes them to second place, 13 points behind leaders Leicestershire.<\/p>\n
Middlesex started the morning 97 runs behind needing to bat deep into the day to deny Derbyshire victory.<\/p>\n
Their first objective was to deny the hosts early wickets on a pitch that was offering turn and Eskinazi and Holden started well although both had moments of good fortune.<\/p>\n
Eskinazi edged Blair Tickner between first and second slip to the third man boundary before Holden was given a reprieve on 46.<\/p>\n
He swept Jack Morley hard to short mid-wicket where Tickner could only parry the ball in front of his face.<\/p>\n
It was a tough chance with Tickner doing well to get his hands up to protect himself and the rest of the session was largely uneventful until Middlesex inexplicably pressed the self-destruct button in the last over before lunch.<\/p>\n
Holden had passed 500 runs for the season and was closing on a third century in seven innings when he went for a big slog sweep at Morley and was bowled.<\/p>\n
Leus du Plooy, batting with a runner, then drove the ball towards the cover boundary where Harry Came’s return to the bowler’s end ran out Eskinazi who had raced down the pitch looking for a third run.<\/p>\n
Those two dismissals had opened the door for Derbyshire who gave it another firm go after the interval.<\/p>\n
Du Plooy injured his right foot batting in the first innings and a Tickner yorker struck his left foot in line to send him hobbling back to the pavilion.<\/p>\n
Four runs later, Ben Geddes got an inside edge off Alex Thomson onto pad and Caleb Jewell dived at leg slip to take the catch.<\/p>\n
Chappell then produced a beauty to have Jack Davies caught behind but Gohar and Higgins got to tea with Middlesex 86 ahead.<\/p>\n
Derbyshire took the second new ball but the pair continued to steer their side towards safety until Higgins swept Thomson to deep square leg with the visitors 138 ahead.<\/p>\n
But Gohar completed his 50 with his second six and Derbyshire called off the chase with 15 overs remaining.<\/p>\n
ECB Reporters’ Network supported by Rothesay<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n