Malan, Harris give Moores plenty to ponder

Peter Moores looked a man at ease in his new environment, watching play from the upper balcony in the Trent Bridge pavilion, chatting and laughing with the sundry players, coaches and support staff who emerged from the home dressing room to join him.

You suspect he will take up permanent residence, given the upbeat welcome the former England coach was afforded when Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's director of cricket, introduced him during the county's win over Worcestershire last week. Newell has shouldered responsibility for Nottinghamshire's fortunes since he became first-team coach in 2002 and feels the time is right for someone to approach the challenge with a fresh perspective.

What it means for his future remains to be seen. His willingness to put the county's fortunes first, with the threat of relegation likely to colour the remainder of the season, can only be admired. Moores, in his consultancy role, will share the burden until a decision about what happens next is made in September.

Among his many qualities, Moores has reputation for bringing on young players. That experience will be useful immediately, given the current profile of Nottinghamshire's bowling attack. Brett Hutton, Luke Wood and Jake Ball have 29 first-class matches between them but all played here. Both Luke Fletcher and Andy Carter, injured in their last match, are sidelined for the immediate future. Meanwhile, Ben Hilfenhaus, the overseas player, took so much on in bowling their overs that Nottinghamshire decided he had to have a rest.

When Middlesex were 165 for 7, the view from Moores' perch will have looked pretty pleasing. With the ball swinging under an overcast sky, a batting line-up including two former England openers and the current one-day captain had found the going tough.

However, the 41.2 overs that remained in a day interrupted by only one heavy downpour yielded no further wickets. Dawid Malan and James Harris instead added 147 more runs, the partnership itself chanceless until late in the evening, even though Malan had been given a let-off on 29 when Samit Patel spilled a low chance at point.

Malan walked off with a career-best 159 not out, having batted for five and three-quarter hours. That he did not offer another chance in that part of the field alone was perhaps surprising, given that he scored 60% of his runs either square of the wicket or behind square on the off side, which Moores will note when he studies the data.

There were other chances, though. Two were spilled by Brendan Taylor in the slips (Nick Compton on 19 and Eoin Morgan on 0), although the Zimbabwean atoned with a stunner at short extra cover to see off Ollie Rayner. Patel dropped his second of the day, again at point, as Harris had a life on 64.

It has been a stop-start season for Malan, who had a poor time in 2013 but recovered his red-ball form impressively last season. He suffered a broken hand in the opening Championship match, also against Nottinghamshire, and has missed further cricket with a groin injury. This is only his third first-class match.

On a pitch with plenty of grass left on, Middlesex lost their openers within the first eight overs, one each to Wood, who ripped out Joe Burns's middle stump, and Ball, who dismissed Sam Robson leg before, both batsmen succumbing to inswing.

Compton's let-off cost nothing, with Hutton finding a little extra bounce with his next delivery and Chris Read taking the edge. That made it Nottinghamshire's morning, although it should have been better still.

Morgan and James Franklin were both dismissed soon after lunch. Morgan, caught at second slip off a Gurney no-ball, had not added to his 15 when he followed left-armer Wood's away swing and nudged the ball into the gloves of wicketkeeper Read; Franklin was give out leg before by umpire Russell Evans, who judged that an inswinger from Gurney struck him on the pad before he got a bat on it.

Nottinghamshire's bowlers continued to exploit the conditions to good effect. John Simpson, driving, was caught by Hutton at third slip off Gurney, then Taylor redeemed himself by taking a blinder at short extra cover, diving to his right, as Steven Mullaney became the fifth seamer to take a wicket.

Thereafter, though, the day was transformed, with Malan punishing Nottinghamshire heavily for allowing him a life and Harris, who is having a fine season with the ball, proving not for the first time that he is more than competent with the bat. Nottinghamshire have some work to do to get something out of this match, which Middlesex will see as a chance to reinforce their challenge for the title. You suspect that Moores, who professes to love a challenge, has a sizeable one.