DEXTER AND SIMPSON RESPOND IN STYLE TO ARAFAT'S BURST by Marcus Hook
Middlesex 368-5 v Surrey.

Middlesex's Neil Dexter and John Simpson responded magnificently to Yasir Arafat's early burst, which reduced the home side to 28-3 in the tenth over, after Surrey won the toss and elected to insert their hosts. The fifth wicket pair added 254 in 63 overs, which put a very different complexion on proceedings. Other than being dropped on 100, the only time Dexter looked troubled came late in the day when, after turning a single into two runs, he appeared to pull a back muscle. Dexter's was the only wicket to fall, twenty-five minutes before the close, after lunch.

The Middlesex captain batted for 310 minutes, faced 223 balls and hit 17 fours and two maximums in his 145, which was agonisingly close to being a new career best. But, if anything, Simpson's unbeaten 126, which is a career best, was the more memorable knock. The inclusion of the young keeper-batsman has been questioned, given that he is denying Ben Scott a place in the Middlesex line-up. On yesterday's evidence Scott can start looking for a third county.

The hosts soon found themselves in trouble with Yasir Arafat striking for the first time this season to claim three wickets in his opening spell of 8-1-27-3. Scott Newman was the first man to go when he fell leg before to an inswinging delivery in the fourth over. Four overs later, Dan Housego, stabbing at a short ball, was snapped up at third slip by Tom Maynard.

In the tenth over, Chris Rogers cover drove Arafat for four, but appeared fortunate to survive the next delivery, which defeated the Aussie left-hander in a manner similar to Newman's departure. Two overs later, Rogers despatched Arafat for two successive boundaries, but, next ball, driving on the walk, had his bails disturbed by the Pakistan all-rounder.

In the 18th over, Chris Jordan's first two deliveries since September 2009 were sent whistling to the fence at backward point by Dawid Malan. Dexter, who doubled his runs for the season when he went past 12, flicked Gareth Batty over the head of the square leg umpire, Neil Mallender, for four before pulling and on-driving Jordan to the leg-side boundary.

But just before lunch Malan, playing back to Batty, was trapped leg before by a one that skidded on to the 23-year-old left-hander, which meant that Surrey were the happier of the two teams going into the break. At tea, however, the pendulum had swung towards Middlesex, thanks to Dexter and Simpson, who put on 133 unbeaten runs in 36 overs in the afternoon session.

Dexter brought his fifty up by depositing Batty in the pavilion for six in the 37th over. In the next, Simpson edged Jade Dernbach through where third slip would have been posted, at a catchable height, before driving Batty's fourth ball back into the attack over wide mid-on for four.

Simpson brought the hundred partnership up with a pull-drive for four off Jordan and, in the next over, the 59th, posted a 113-ball half-century by despatching Arafat to the deep cover rope, and Middlesex's first batting point with an edged four to third man. Just before tea, Dexter, who by this time was looking untroubled, pulled a long hop from Rory Hamilton-Brown for six.

Twenty minutes after the interval, the Middlesex captain reached his first hundred of the season with a straight driven four off Dernbach. It had taken him 226 minutes, 163 balls and his century included 11 fours and two maximums. Dexter was dropped at first slip off the very next delivery. Dernbach's mood was not helped when Dexter then dismissed him to the rope at deep extra cover to make it 252-4.

Simpson moved to 89 with a slog swept six over wide long-on off Batty and, six overs later, brought up the 200 partnership with a cover driven four off Tim Linley. Linley's next over was the first with the new cherry, but it saw Simpson go to a 181-ball hundred, Dexter hit a four through cover and then Simpson record a new career best with a boundary back past the bowler.

Simpson took the fifth wicket stand past 250 in the 88th over with a pulled four off Jordan. But, two overs later, Jordan made the breakthrough when Dexter miscued a loose pull high to Arafat at mid-off. It was small consolation for the visitors, who, despite their bright start, may well have to target next week's clash with Leicestershire for their first championship win of the season.

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