PROMOTION-chasing Worcestershire were bowled out for 313 on the opening day of their LV= County Championship Division Two clash at Lord’s.

Toby Roland-Jones fell foul of the London tube strike congestion to miss the first 40 minutes of play but returned to help remove the visitors.

The fast bowler came back well from his stressful start to the day to take 4-51, making him the pick of the Middlesex attack.

Moeen Ali top-scored for Worcestershire with 66, while skipper and opener Daryl Mitchell batted solidly for 47.

Several other Middlesex players also struggled to make it to the ground on time although only Roland-Jones missed the 10.30am start.

Many roads were gridlocked in the capital as a result of the 24-hour tube strike and the increase in those trying to get to and from work by car.

But when Roland-Jones finally made it onto the field, after Worcestershire had won the toss and chosen to bat, he wasted little time before making an impact with the wicket of left-handed opener David Wheeldon (14), caught behind to one angled across him.

A mid-afternoon collapse saw Worcestershire slide from 101-1 to 126-4 as Mitchell left a ball from Steven Finn which trimmed his off bail and Vikram Solanki edged Neil Dexter to first slip on 39.

Roland-Jones then contributed again, moving one away from Alexei Kervezee to have the Dutch right-hander caught at second slip for just five.

Moeen and Shakib Al Hasan repaired some of the damage with a fifth-wicket partnership of 78 but the former Bangladesh captain then mishit Owais Shah’s off-spin to mid-wicket after scoring a bright 34.

James Cameron swung Dexter’s medium pace over mid-wicket for six — a stroke Moeen had also earlier played — but the Middlesex captain hit back by having Moeen well held to his left by Shah at slip as he tried to steer a short ball to third man.

Moeen hit a six and 10 fours in an attractive innings.

After Cameron fell to the second new ball for 28, lbw to Pedro Collins as he fell across his stumps, and Ben Cox (4) had been superbly held by a diving Dan Housego at backward point to give Dexter figures of 3-50, excellent hitting by Gareth Andrew helped Worcestershire to a third batting bonus point.

Andrew finally miscued an attempted pull at Roland-Jones to be caught at long-off for 36 but last pair Jack Shantry (10 not out) and Alan Richardson (11) made sure the visitors got past 300.

Roland-Jones finished his eventful day by having Richardson caught at the wicket swinging the bat.

In Middlesex’s solitary over of batting before the close, nightwatchman Finn played out a maiden from Alan Richardson.