In 19 overs before lunch, the left-armer bowled eight maidens, and took the wickets of Dominic Ostler and Wasim Khan for 24 runs. By then, Moles had been in for 283 minutes and Warwick-shire were looking a great deal more confident about the draw.Oddly enough, Penney’s century came up in much the same way – with a six into the Mound Stand in his nineties. Last week, when he had accepted the inevitability of defeat against Kent, Moles scored a gaudy 76 off 45 balls. At Lord’s yesterday, he spent seven-and-a-half hours grinding out a critical 176, with one six and 21 fours.

For different reasons, both innings were memorable.Moles is an interesting figure: literally so, for while his mother would describe him as stately, portly is more accurate. He does not look like an athlete, but he is strong, his timing is marvellous and he is remarkably fleet of foot. Moles is 35, probably too old for him to play for England, but he has a better career average than his colleague Nick Knight, who does.Despite being Warwickshire’s acting captain (both Dermot Reeve and Tim Munton are injured), Moles’s sense of drama had not deserted him entirely. To bring up his 50, in seven minutes over two hours, he hit successive boundaries off Richard Johnson – one tickled to fine-leg, the next driven violently through cover – before square-cutting for three.His century was even more striking.

Johnson was bowling again when Moles was on 93, and an inviting delivery just short of a length went for six into the Mound Stand; the next ball was swept down to third-man for a single. I am not complaining because it is always interesting to see how – or whether – the teams contrive to bring the game to a conclusion on Monday, but it is not surprising so few people share my appreciation of such an arcane business.
Neither captain was willing to take risks yesterday. When bad light stopped play five minutes before the close, Warwickshire were 25 behind Middlesex but with not enough wickets standing to give them much chance to build a lead quickly and offer a tempting target tomorrow.Watching Warwickshire play for a draw, as they did at Lord’s, is not what we have come to expect from the champions, but they are not playing like champions this year. It was one of those Saturdays in county cricket when little happens and players go through the motions.

There were only two people here who will remember yesterday’s play at all vividly. Andy Moles and Trevor Penney both scored centuries while putting on 235 in 74 overs, and by the time both were out, with the score on 377, Warwickshire were safe from the follow-on and the prospect of a second humiliating defeat in consecutive weeks. Waqar, building up a head of steam, struck twice and left an hour for Pakistan to bat. During this, Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar went through the sort of motions – albeit against some fairly undistinguished new-ball bowling – which could give England cause for queasy tummies.. In his stoic way he had created a watchable innings, but he was finally caught at second slip driving extravagantly.It may not be Wasim’s only such ensnarement this summer. After Matthew Maynard’s pleasant but brief stay (a familiar tale), the Glamorgan tail was whittled away. He persuaded Gary Butcher to carve him off the back foot to cover and then Alistair Dalton to drive forlornly to mid-off.