Middlesex are back in Vitality Blast action tomorrow evening at the Home of Cricket, looking to get back to winning ways after two disappointing results against Essex and Gloucestershire in their last two T20 outings. Another big crowd is expected to pack into Lord’s tomorrow, and they’ll be hoping for a repeat of Middlesex’s victory over London rivals Surrey in their campaign opener a fortnight ago.
Middlesex go head to head with Somerset under the lights tomorrow, with both sides keen to build on their one solitary victory to date this term – Middlesex having won once in three attempts, and Somerset once in two.
The Seaxes will be led onto their field by England’s white-ball Captain Eoin Morgan, who makes a more than welcome return to Middlesex duty having just steered England to their eighth consecutive ODI series win yesterday - when defeating India in Leeds to secure a 2-1 series win.
Also returning to competitive action for Middlesex is paceman Steve Finn, who is expected to make his first Vitality Blast start of the season, although Middlesex will be without both Nick Gubbins and Dawid Malan – both whom are still absent with the England Lions.
Making his Middlesex debut tomorrow will be Australian all-rounder Ashton Agar, who joined the club this week to fill one of the two overseas berths vacated by the departing Hilton Cartwright, who has now left the club. The other is filled by the enigmatic Dwayne Bravo, who will be keen to build on the good all-round performance he put in against Gloucestershire in Middlesex’s last outing, when taking two wickets and hitting a quickfire 34.
Ravi Patel misses out on squad selection for this one, whilst Agar and Sowter, with support from Stirling, still offer Morgan plenty of variety and option within the spin department.
James Fuller, Tom Helm, George Scott and James Harris all retain their places in the squad for tomorrow’s clash, although with Finn also named and likely to feature, one if not two of them look likely to miss out on making the starting eleven.
A win for Middlesex tomorrow gets the campaign right back on track, and Middlesex’s T20 Head Coach Daniel Vettori has named the following thirteen-man squad…
Eoin Morgan (captain)
Ashton Agar
Dwayne Bravo
Stephen Eskinazi
Steven Finn
James Fuller
James Harris
Tom Helm
Max Holden
George Scott
John Simpson (wicket-keeper)
Nathan Sowter
Paul Stirling
Middlesex
Somerset
