Fleming and Joyce put Middlesex in command

Superb centuries by the New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and Ed Joyce put Middlesex in a commanding position in the crucial Second Division Championship promotion match against Warwickshire at Lord's yesterday.

The left-handed pair shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 219, a record for Middlesex against Warwickshire, rescuing the home side who had been reduced to 33 for 3 in the morning.

Only 1.25 points separated the sides before the start of play and Angus Fraser's decision to bat looked to have backfired when Warwickshire struck early on, West Indian fast bowler Vasbert Drakes claiming the wickets of opener Michael Brown and Owais Shah.

However, the visitors' early optimism soon disappeared with the swashbuckling performance of Joyce (104) and Fleming (102). They tore into the Warwickshire attack, letting fly with a succession of boundaries to put Middlesex in charge.

Both were soon out after completing their centuries, Fleming edging a wide Dougie Brown delivery to the wicketkeeper Keith Piper, and Joyce getting himself run out. Nevertheless, an unbeaten partnership of 70 from Paul Weekes (47) and David Nash (28) guided Middlesex to 338 for 5 by the close.