An eight-wicket Phil Tufnell haul took the shine off Jack Russell's 1,000th dismissal for Gloucestershire and helped table-topping Middlesex to a hard-earned draw in their Frizzell County Championship Division Two encounter at Cheltenham.
Tufnell reduced Gloucestershire to 230 all out in their second innings after their mammoth first-innings total of 494 made them favourites for victory.
Middlesex then batted out the day to finish 96 runs behind with five wickets intact, thanks largely to Ben Hutton (88) and Sven Koenig (53), gaining 10 points in their push for promotion.
With figures of 8-66, Tufnell lit up the show, but second-from-bottom Gloucestershire also played their part with a superb first-innings batting display which set them on the way to a richly-deserved 12 points.
The home side began the day on 175-8 in their second innings and added 55 runs.
On a fine batting wicket, the injured Craig Spearman and Jon Lewis began positively and Spearman smashed one over long-off from a Abdur Razzaq delivery in the second over.
Lewis carried the fight to Middlesex with a huge six and a four to deep mid-wicket in the same Weekes over.
But shortly after, Lewis was back in the pavilion for 30, Tufnell's spin inducing him into a mistimed drive to Simon Cook at long-on.
Five deliveries later, the innings was over as Razzaq claimed the wicket of Ben Gannon for a duck.
Chasing 362 to win, Middlesex's opening pairing of Strauss and Koenig began with purpose.
But with 37 on the scoreboard, an Ian Fisher delivery captured Strauss.
The Middlesex skipper mistimed his back-foot defence and the ball came off the boot of Chris Taylor at silly mid-off, giving Russell the chance to snap up his 1,000th dismissal.
Ben Hutton then came to the crease and immediately advanced down the track to despatch Fisher over long-off.
At the other end, Koenig continued to produce the goods as one frantic Ian Fisher over produced one huge six over long-on and two fours.
He then registered his half-century, but shortly after he was out as spinner Martyn Ball sent one down that trapped him lbw for 53.
Hutton went on to his third half-century of the championship and Razzaq made just 14 before edging one to Russell after good work from Alex Gidman.
New batsman Owais Shah was then sent back for five as Gidman claimed his second wicket of the day, Lewis catching an attempted drive at mid-off.
When Hutton pulled Ben Gannon to Mark Alleyne at mid-on for 88, it made for an interesting finale.
But Paul Weekes (37 not out) and Joyce (32 not out) provided the necessary steel to ease Middlesex to safety as they finished on 265-5.
Frizzell County Championship
Division One The Rose Bowl: Lancs 183 (A Swann 66, Tremlett 5-68, Udal 4-25) & 187 (Udal 5-59), Hants 132 (Kendall 54, Anderson 6-23) & 127 (Wood 4-17). Lancs won by 111 runs. Grace Road: Leics 131 (Saggers 5-44, Masters 4-36) & 400 (DeFreitas 114, Sutcliffe 103, Ward 70, Bevan 61, Saggers 4-68), Kent 339 (Key 127) & 193-4. Kent won by 6 wkts. Guildford: Yorkshire 172 & 446 (Lumb 124, Lehmann 61, Craven 56, Blakey 50, Giddins 4-113), Surrey 382 (Batty 99, Clarke 56, Brown 50) & 237-4 (Ward 124 no, Salisbury 59). Surrey won by 6 wkts. Edgbaston: Warwicks 493 (Knight 245 no, Powell 57, Lewry 4-151) & 284-6 dec (Knight 97), Sussex 377 (Cottey 137, Montgomerie 51) & 192 (Cottey 64, Richardson 8-46). Warwickswon by 208 runs.
Division Two Northampton: Derbys 388 (Gait 175, Bassano 57, G Swann 6-126) & 282 (Cork 80, Bassano 69, Swann 4-112, Brown 4-88), Northants 210 (Cook 88) & 283 (Penberthy 62, Bailey 50 no). Derbys won by 177 runs. Chelmsford: Essex 231 & 514-4dec (Flower 172 no, Robinson 119, Jefferson 109), Glamorgan 575 (James 249, Maynard 76, B Croft 62). Match drawn. Cheltenham: Gloucs 494 (Hancock 112, Gidman 94, Taylor 67, Alleyne 62, Windows 55, Abdur Razzaq 5-125) & 230 (Tufnell 8-66), Middlesex 363 (Weekes 102, Shah 65) & 265-5 (Hutton 88, Koenig 53). Match drawn.
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