By Matt Somerford
Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser was relieved to survive the "longest four days of his life" with his side's LV= County Championship top-flight status intact.
The Londoners batted through the final day of their relegation decider against Lancashire to secure the draw to keep them from the drop.
They relied on yet more late-season resolve, following their battling stalemate at Somerset last week, which ultimately proved the difference after Lancashire had threatened to snatch the wide-margin success they had required to leapfrog them heading into the final round.
"I'm obviously relieved and proud of the way they've responded," Fraser said.
"It's probably been one of the best four-day games of cricket you could ever see, the way it's fluctuated, and I'm proud of the way we've risen to the challenge.
"We've been put under the pump and shown a lot of character.
"That is maybe something that has been questioned in our side. It's a very talented side, with some really good cricketers in there. But we do play some soft cricket at times.
"So to respond as we did last week at Somerset and then again this week, they've shown real character. I think it's been the longest four days of my life, that's for sure."
Middlesex had conceded an 88-run first-innings lead and, more pressingly, the bonus points Lancashire required to keep their survival bid alive.
Lancashire skipper Glen Chapple ensured that in the most dramatic of circumstances yesterday morning when he pulled Toby Roland-Jones for six in the final over before the bonus-point cut-off.
Middlesex responded to the setback with stubborn defiance as they ably survived the next 134 overs of the match.
Where skipper Chris Rogers' double-century was the foundation of their Taunton rearguard, Middlesex this time relied on an all-round effort when it counted most.
That was typified by James Harris and Tim Murtagh who saw off 161 balls in an unbroken ninth-wicket stand before Chapple was forced to call off his side's hope at 4.21pm.
"There was a quote this morning ... 'pressure is a privilege - if you're under pressure it means you're doing something important'," Fraser said.
"It's better to be doing something important than nothing. So you sort of rise to that challenge - and that's something we've managed to do slowly.
"When you get put in these circumstances, and you come through it, it is something you can draw on in years to come."
Fraser was taking no satisfaction in seeing Lancashire, and their skipper Chapple, go down.
The match could be the last of Chapple's 23-season career with the veteran in line for the full-time coach's role next season.
"From Middlesex's perspective, there are no celebrations or anything like that but relief we've done it - and huge sympathy for Lancashire too, because they've pushed us bloody hard and invested great effort and energy into it whether physical or mental," he said.
"The way he (Chapple) plays, and the way he took that six on, and leads the team and is at the front of everything they do, you say: 'Well, if we do lose this, you can only say well done to Glen'.
"You don't mind losing to a competitor like that, someone who does so many things right - and you have a tinge of sadness for him."
Lancashire are set to begin their search for a new coach now that the season has ended with the suggestion that they will not employ a player-coach - a role Chapple has undertaken this year following Peter Moores' promotion to England Head Coach.
It would spell the end of Chapple's playing career should he be handed the role full-time, although after claiming the man-of-the-match award in this game he again proved his apparently ageless 40-year-old body could manage at least another season.
"I genuinely don’t know. I still enjoy playing and feel pretty decent," he told Sky Sports 2.
"I’ve not had as good a season as I’d have liked but I don’t think that’s through age necessarily and I felt good this game and really enjoyed it."
Asked about the chances of being a player-coach, he added: "It’s a difficult question. It’s not the ideal.
"What I would say is this year has been a very good learning curve."
Lancashire have bounced straight back up in the two previous seasons they have been relegated - in 2004 and 2012 - and Chapple is confident they can manage that again.
"We’ve had players who’ve had good seasons, we’ve got talent on the staff, there’s no doubt about that," he said.
"Small areas of improvement make big differences – longer partnerships, bigger first-innings scores – and when we get into a game we always compete.
"Division One is tough, there’s no doubt about that, but we’ve competed with every side. If we can improve in certain areas we’ll be back for more."