Cricket: Giles Hits Level of All-rounder

This should be Warwickshire's match to control from here on in. Batting last will be no sinecure on a surface which showed signs of erratic bounce by the end of the home side's first innings, and Nick Knight's team will not want to be chasing much in excess of 220, but Middlesex conceded a first-innings deficit of 132 and by the close had barely crept into the black as Ashley Giles and Alex Loudon wheeled away with men round the bat for much of the final session, a sort of happy spin-twin harmony usually found in late summer.

Giles in particular, bowling unchanged for 24 overs, was getting enough turn from his habitual line over the wicket to make batting an awkward proposition and picked up two wickets. There will be no meaningful target-setting from Middlesex.

It was Loudon, though, who struck a giant blow for Warwickshire by removing Andrew Strauss with his first delivery at a time when the England opener seemed to have embarked on his first meaningful innings of what could be an immense summer.

He had made 37 of a stand of 47 with Ben Hutton when Loudon was brought into the attack to bowl his off-spin from the pavilion end. His loosener from around the wicket had real flight in it, dipped into the pitch and drew Strauss uncertainly into a prodding defensive stroke before turning sufficiently to find the edge. Jonathan Trott, a fine catcher - anyone who can keep Knight from the close cordon must be so regarded - duly took his fourth catch of the match, at the second attempt.

For Middlesex to survive today, much will depend on Ed Joyce (21 not out) and Owais Shah (36 not out ), who came together after Giles, the season's leading wicket-taker, had beaten and bowled Hutton as he advanced down the pitch. Next he had Ed Smith, playing pleasantly in the second innings after a golden duck in the first, leg-before to a full toss on the boot.

The first part of the day had been dominated by Ian Bell, 143 overnight, who went on to make 231 of Warwickshire's 430 in the manner of one keen to make his presence felt. He did it in a shade over seven hours, too, hitting 29 fours before being run out because of a mix-up in calling.

His seventh-wicket stand with Giles, begun on Thursday evening and finally yielding 167, may prove to be the significant one of the match, taking Warwickshire as it did from something approaching parity to a healthy lead.

Giles's batting, honed in international cricket with England, has gone beyond being merely useful to that of a genuine all-rounder. He struck the ball healthily for his 62 runs before driving once too often to mid-on.