County Cricket Round-Up: Styris throws the bat to help Middlesex tackle leaders

Middlesex fought back well on the second day of their First Division match against the leaders Sussex at Southgate yesterday. Despite a frenetic 67 from Yasir Arafat, the visitors, 374 for 5 overnight, were out for 507 before the bottom club reached 344 for 4. Ed Smith hit 75 and Owais Shah went 10 better but it was the aggression of the Kiwi Scott Styris that stood out as he hit 54 not out from 46 balls after tea.

In the Second Division, Justin Langer scored a county record 342 - surpassing Viv Richards' 322 in 1985 - as Somerset hit the dizzy heights of 688 for 8 declared against the leaders Surrey at Guildford. Mark Ramprakash (66 not out) and Mark Butcher (41 not out) are leading the reply.