Sussex match preview and One-Day Cup squad announcement
Middlesex head to the South Coast tomorrow evening to take on the Sussex Sharks in Hove, having won their previous two fifty over encounters and having moved to joint second in the table alongside Somerset, Sussex and Gloucestershire, all on four points from three games played.
Last Sunday’s 70 run victory for Middlesex over Kent at Radlett was backed up last night by a thrilling two run victory over Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, with Tom Helm holding his nerve at the death, bowling with great control and variation of pace to outwit the home sides’ late-order batsmen.
In each of Middlesex’s three fifty-over clashes this term Middlesex have got off to a flying start with the bat, with Stirling, Gubbins, Eskinazi and Morgan all weighing in with hefty contributions at the top of the order. On each occasion they’ve looked set to post totals well into the mid three hundreds, only for the loss of crucial wickets at key times in the innings to stunt their progress. If Middlesex can get their middle order firing on all cylinders then it’s only a matter of time before they begin posting some truly formidable totals.
James Franklin has been a revelation with the bat in this campaign, showing his class and maturity in every game. Yet to be dismissed in any of his three innings, Franklin has hit a crucial 120 runs for Middlesex, helping his side to post winning totals of just over the three hundred mark in each of our last two outings.
With the ball Ravi Patel is clearly enjoying his run in the fifty-over side and leads the wicket-taking table jointly with Tom Helm, both on seven. Patel has looked the most dangerous of Middlesex spinners to date, whilst Helm has shown ability beyond his years to pick up crucial wickets and bowl with a miserly economy rate up top and at the death.
Middlesex look in good shape this term, and another victory against Sussex at Hove tomorrow will put them in a great position going into the second half of the group stages.
Tomorrow’s opponents won their opening encounter convincingly at home by seven wickets against Kent, before coming unstuck against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl, with the hosts sneaking home in the final over of the game. Last out they beat a strong Somerset outfit by 75 runs, with the evergreen white-ball specialist Luke Wright smashing the tenth List-A hundred of his career to take Sussex to victory.
In Sussex Middlesex will face a stern test tomorrow, although coming into the game high in confidence, if Middlesex can get the middle order firing, then there’s every chance they could be leaving the south coast tomorrow evening with another two points in the bag.
Middlesex Head Coach Richard Scott has named the same fifteen-man squad for the clash with Sussex, as follows:
Steven Finn (captain)
Tom Barber
Hilton Cartwright
Stephen Eskinazi
James Franklin
James Fuller
Nick Gubbins
James Harris
Tom Helm
Max Holden
Eoin Morgan
Ravi Patel
John Simpson (wicket-keeper)
Nathan Sowter
Paul Stirling
Sussex
Middlesex
