Date-stamped : 08 Aug95 - 06:26 ====> Day 1 Pooley onslaught sparks Middlesex By Charles Randall at Lord's First day of four: Middx 500-6 v Notts TITLE-chasing Middlesex easily qualified for a bully of the month award yesterday as they set up what they hope will be their fourth consecutive innings-victory. Jason Pooley leapt with delight at making a hundred before lunch, Mike Gatting punched 148 with those chunky forearms and, amid three other fifties, the only really disappointed man in the Middlesex camp would have been Mark Ramprakash. Ramaprakash was caught for 62 when he had every right to expect his third double-hundred at headquarters in a row, but scoring 624 first-class runs in five innings since his 'pair' in the second Test at Lord's was nevertheless an eye-catching achievement. He must have been already drooling at the thought of cashing in on a short Tavern boundary, largely unpatrolled by Nottinghamshire fielders, when he plonked a slower ball from Andy Pick, a full toss, to midwicket where Paul Johnson took a tumbling catch. Nottinghamshire had little joy during a punishing afternoon when their two young spinners were milked for runs without mercy. The biggest round of applause from an appreciative crowd probably went to David Pennett for replacing a divot down at long-leg. Pooley's fluent 133 came at a run a ball, and Gatting, who looked upset every time he failed to dispatch the spinners for four, completed his third successive championship hundred during a rapid 213 partnership with Keith Brown. Pooley and Gatting both survived a slip chance each to Paul Pollard, who could later contemplate their great cost when he visited hospital with a badly bruised hand after parrying an extra-cover drive by Gatting. Pooley's 94-ball hundred was Middlesex's first before lunch anywhere since Desmond Haynes in 1990. He relieved growing tension with a pick-up for six off Pennett to move to 99, pushing the required single next ball with eight minutes to spare. John Carr survived only two deliveries -the first being a stumping appeal -and the other oddity was that the day's 72 boundaries contained only one six. ====> Day 2 Cairns carries a heavy load with the bat By Charles Randall at Lord's Second day of four: Notts (263-8) trail Middlesex (587) by 324 runs FOR Nottinghamshire, in their disarray, there was something very reassuring about the tall, strapping figure of Chris Cairns yesterday. The plug-hole loomed when the New Zealander strode out to the crease with four wickets down, and at least his 106 not out made Middlesex wait a while for that familiar gurgling sound that usually accompanies the follow-on. Apart from Cairns at his most determined, the only hitch to Middlesex's progress was the indication that Phil Tufnell would be officially reported by the umpires for the sort of silliness that has made England's selectors despair. Tufnell had one of those mystifying days. He must have caused the Nursery End sightscreen to be moved half a dozen times while alternating over and round the wicket, he took three wickets and managed to incur an official warning for gesturing to the Tavern crowd. Thin applause, acknowledging 50 runs of the stand between Cairns and Wayne Noon, appeared to have been interpreted by the tetchy Tufnell as barracking for his second no-ball in an over. In the morning, with ball in hand, Cairns had put whip into the action that has marked him as one of the liveliest bowlers on the circuit and he hurled himself into a memorable return catch almost as far as the batsman's feet. Nottinghamshire were outplayed on a cracked pitch that began to accept some spin and, without Cairns' first championship hundred of the season, their efforts might not have risen above acute embarrassment. Cairns managed to combine straight-bat responsibility with some lusty driving and he reached his hundred in 150 deliveries, nine balls quicker than Graeme Archer's entire innings of 39. The stonewalling Archer was attempting to give backbone to the Nottinghamshire resistance, but this idea merely created a feeling of futility that bowlers such as Tufnell and John Emburey were equipped to exploit. Tufnell had no reason to be cross with anyone and he would have been especially pleased with John Carr for his stunning slip catch off a cut by Usman Afzaal. Cairns was given two lives in the deep - awkward chances at 23 and 87 - and resumes this morning with his career-best score only four runs away. ====> Day 3 Middlesex win shows size of Johnson task By Charles Randall at Lord's Third day of four: Middlesex (587 ) bt Notts (285 & 116) by an innings and 186 runs PAUL JOHNSON has an unenviable task when he takes over as Nottinghamshire's captain next season, judging by the massive defeat by an innings and 186 runs at Lord's yesterday. Middlesex's two reverses have been against Warwickshire and Lancashire, two other strong contenders, and the contest between the top two counties looms on Aug 29 when Northamptonshire visit Uxbridge for a little showdown in modest surroundings. So in command were Mike Gatting's ruthlessly efficient gang that Nottinghamshire at times looked happy just to make up the numbers, and any criticism seems almost superfluous for a county so comprehensively outplayed. Johnson can probably forget about the title next year to make sure Nottinghamshire consolidate their thin on-field assets, especially with the imminent departure of Chris Lewis, the best bowler last year, even if this has been an unproductive summer. After the new-ball pairing of Andy Pick and Chris Cairns, the bowling at Lord's lacked penetration or experience or both. Even James Hindson, a richly promising left-arm spinner, took fearful clatter during Middlesex's scorched earth policy, when 86 fours burnt the turf during the first four sessions. Phil Tufnell wrapped up the last two overnight wickets to ensure Nottinghamshire followed on, setting up eventual victory well before the end of the tea session. Cairns added only nine more runs before holing out on the extra-cover boundary for 115, his career-best score. This was the first hundred scored against Middlesex in the championship this year. Tufnell might yet have cause to regret his untimely gesture to the crowd on Friday, incurring an umpires' report to the Test and County Cricket Board, which would not be well received by England's selectors. He bowled his left-arm spin with his customary variations and several deliveries gripped and flew past the outside edge. He took five in a championship innings for the first time this summer and overtook John Emburey in the aggregate race when he added two more later to take his total to 45. In the second innings Tufnell's spin was used less, but he produced another quirky moment by delivering a ball on to Jason Pooley's back at short-leg while Nottinghamshire's last pair occupied the crease. Angus Fraser was the bowler in the wickets second time around. He benefited from two slip catches and a diving catch at cover by Dion Nash, though his most important victim was Cairns. Nottinghamshire's batting looked generally cowed. Luck ran against them, and Tim Robinson, with five championship hundreds to date, played on to Emburey twice in the match in identical fashion, the ball rolling back to the stumps off legitimate forward defences. Perhaps, then, it was not ill-luck. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)