Mark Stoneman posted his best score of the season to put Middlesex in control of their crucial LV= Insurance County Championship promotion battle with Glamorgan on a rain-affected second day at Lord’s.

The left-hander struck 128 – his third Championship century of the summer – and shared a fifth-wicket stand of 134 with John Simpson as Middlesex overtook the visitors’ first-innings total of 214.

However, the Seaxes’ momentum was punctured by a series of rain stoppages throughout the day and they eventually reached 286 for five, holding a handy lead of 72, when play was abandoned.

Simpson remained undefeated on 72 at stumps, with Ryan Higgins 35 not out at the other end.

Having resumed 82 in arrears, Middlesex progressed steadily during a truncated morning session, although Timm van der Gugten and James Harris both beat the bat on several occasions.

Simpson timed the ball sweetly, punching van der Gugten through the covers to the short boundary and collecting four more from a straight drive off Harris as he and Stoneman ate into the deficit with some aggressive running between the wickets.

Stoneman was just four short of his hundred when play was halted by the first downpour of the day, leaving him to stew over an extended lunch interval.

But the opener lost no further time after the resumption, advancing to three figures from 179 balls and stepping up a gear as he dispatched Harris for a trio of boundaries in one over.

With the batting side swiftly moving into the lead, Glamorgan turned to spinner Ajaz Patel and, although Stoneman crashed his first delivery to the boundary, an uncertain prod at the second was gobbled up by Chris Cooke behind the stumps.

However, Simpson progressed to his half-century for the seventh time this summer and he and Higgins secured the Seaxes’ second batting bonus point prior to two further rain delays – the second of which brought the day’s play to a premature end.

Speaking at close of play, Middlesex opener Mark Stoneman, who scored 128, said:

“They’ve got three quality frontline seamers who were certainly challenging our defence and beat the bat on numerous occasions.

“You have to take your plays and misses and hold your position, play as late as possible and cash in when you do get scoring opportunities. It makes such a difference to keep the scoreboard moving when guys are bowling well.

“Turning ones into twos is key to getting the partnership going and I was trying to extend that partnership with John Simpson as long as possible.

“Now it’s a case of establishing as a big a lead as we can, scoring as many batting points as possible to claw back the seven we’re behind Glamorgan and putting ourselves in a position to win the game.”

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