An unbroken stand of 99 for the sixth wicket between Robin Weston and David Nash revived a faltering Middlesex first innings, taking it to 263 for five by the end of the second day of their CricInfo Championship match against Sussex at Lord's.

They were in need of a big partnership after losing the fifth wicket on 164, and Weston along with Nash provided the discipline to bring the innings back in line. He finished the day unbeaten on 70 from 174 balls with nine boundaries and it was his application in three-and-a-half-hours batting that was much needed by his side.

Nash gave excellent support for two hours in scoring 44 not out as they took their side to within sixty runs of the Sussex first innings total and with half of their wickets still standing.

Middlesex had been given a fine start with a two-and-a-half-hour an opening stand which fell just four short of a century. Andy Strauss and Michael Roseberry were both unlucky to narrowly miss their half-centuries, by two and six runs respectively.

But their good work was wasted later with Middlesex losing four wickets in a space of 49 runs. The two openers fell in the hour after lunch, both to pull shots. Roseberry, top-edging to wide mid-on and Strauss, hitting firmly but straight to Michael Yardy at mid-wicket with the total on 115.

Four runs later, Owais Shah, 11, playing his first first-class innings in a month, having been on England duty with the limited-overs series, was trapped leg before wicket as was Ben Hutton for six, on 150.

Jason Lewry and Mark Robinson had shared the four wickets while off-spinner Mark Davis accounted for Paul Weekes having him snapped up at silly mid-off from a forward prod shortly before tea which was taken on 183 for five.

At the start of the day's play, a big hitting spree by the last remaining Sussex wicket had added 22 runs in ten minutes to take the total to 323 before a ball from Angus Fraser uprooted the middle and off stump of Jason Lewry.

Lewry had added 21 with the help of four boundaries, to his overnight score to reach 40, his highest number of runs in first-class cricket. Most of those came off Jamie Hewitt whose one over went for thirteen.

Starting their innings just under two hours before lunch, Middlesex's openers, Strauss and Roseberry slowly put on 71 from 28 overs. They had brought the 50 up in the 23rd over with cautious batting rather than free strokeplay at first though some fluency came as their stand progressed.

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