Middlesex and Essex played out an exciting tie at Southgate; both bowled out for 120 on a pitch that offered far too much help to bowlers of all types.

Owais Shah made the only score above 30 and nearly guided Middlesex home, but last man Tim Bloomfield found Justin Bishop too fast and too straight for him and Shah was left stranded with 52 to his name.

Ronnie Irani won the toss and decided to bat but, when Darren Robinson and Graham Napier fell to successive Angus Fraser deliveries in the 8th over with only 22 on the board, he might have wished he had fielded first.

Essex quickly slumped to 87 for 6 and then there was an impressive spell of off-break bowling from Jamie Dalrymple, making his first appearance of the season, who took the last four wickets for 9 runs in a 39-ball spell.

The Essex total of 120 was their lowest of the season and talk among the home fans during the between-innings interval was of how quickly Middlesex might make the runs; only for optimism to turn to apprehension as Ben Hutton and Chad Keegan were out by the third over with only three on the board.

Both fell to Ashley Cowan who had a fine opening spell of 3 for 5 in 5 overs and ended with a career-best 5 for 14.

He finished by having Paul Weekes leg before - a decision which clearly upset the batsman - and he bowled Dalrymple next ball.

Shah stood firm through all this mayhem and he levelled the scores with 15 balls to go. The problem for Middlesex was that Bloomfield was left to face three balls from Bishop and the last of them did for him.

© CricInfo