Strauss rides his luck and thwarts Notts

Andy Strauss' colossal effort over a five-and-a-half-hour period went a long way in stopping Nottinghamshire from registering their first CricInfo Championship victory.

Having had a string of low scores in the four-day game this season after hitting a century in the first championship match, against Worcestershire, the left-hander provided the solid defence, that his side urgently required, for almost the entire final day.

When, on 78 from 275 balls, he finally played-on to Kevin Pietersen, Middlesex had only twelve overs left to face and those were negotiated admirably by the tail-enders in a tense finish to this drawn match with Middlesex grinding to 197 for eight.

Having decided against the possibility of reaching the victory target, which was 341 at the start of the day with all wickets intact, Strauss stuck to his defensive task so diligently that, at one stage, he was content to bat for two hours in moving from sixty to seventy.

He found a willing partner in Stephen Fleming as the two put up solid resistence for two-and-a-half-hours in their third wicket century partnership before Nottinghamshire got a breakthrough and Middlesex lost three quick wickets in the second session of play.

In a space of twenty minutes, they lost the wickets of Fleming and Ben Hutton with the total on 130 and five runs later Paul Weekes fell to a catch at mid-wicket. Fleming's 42 came from a slow, patient effort, to the point that he, on 42, had faced 42 balls before miscuing towards mid-wicket for Usman Afzaal to take a catch.

Hutton looked unhappy with the caught behind decision against him and with Weekes' departure half the Middlesex side were out, still needing 215 for victory. By tea they had added eleven runs and were faced with a difficult final session. Strauss, with 63 not out, was providing some hope to save the match.

Earlier, Middlesex had suffered two setbacks at the start of the day. Resuming on the overnight score of nine without loss, they lost Robin Weston in the second over when Greg Smith had him snapped up at second slip from a forward push with the total on seventeen.

Three runs later, Nottinghamshire struck a bigger blow when Owais Shah, in such prolific form this season, went for two. Paul Franks took a return catch from a leading edge as Shah tried to play him to leg

Commendable as his effort was, Strauss did enjoy good fortune, having given chances on 31 to gully, 34 to long leg and 40 to forward short leg. How Nottinghamshire will rue dropping those catches. It would have made all the difference to the result.