Middlesex Head Coach Stuart Law has named a squad of fourteen for the Club's opening Royal London Cup clash of the season as we head to Chelmsford to take on Essex at the CloudFM County Ground.
Club Captain, Peter Handscomb, returns to lead the side in the fifty-over competition and much like every skipper across the country, he'll be leading a much changed side into the Royal London Cup campaign that is missing key players, all called up to their respective Hundred outfits.
Middlesex are without Eoin Morgan (London Spirit), John Simpson (Northern Superchargers), Steven Finn (Manchester Originals), Tom Helm (Birmingham Phoenix), Nathan Sowter (Oval Invincibles) and Blake Cullen (London Spirit), all key components of Middlesex's white-ball set-up, and we'll also be missing the experience and quality of Varun Chopra, currently on loan for the Royal London Cup from tomorrow's opponents Essex, and hence unavailable to play against his host county. In-form Stephen Eskinazi also sits this one out, as he recovers from a groin injury sustained in the Club's last County Championship encounter against Leicestershire at Merchant Taylors' School.
Their collective absence opens the door for others to impress however, and Law's side includes two youngsters yet to make their first eleven debuts for the Club, both right arm quicks, Max Harris and Toby Greatwood. Both will be hoping to get the nod tomorrow in the absence of the seamers who are away at the Hundred.
Middlesex's fourteen man squad is as follows:
Peter Handscomb (captain)
Martin Andersson
Ethan Bamber
Joe Cracknell
Jack Davies
Toby Greatwood
Max Holden
James Harris
Max Harris
Luke Hollman
Tim Murtagh
Sam Robson
Thilan Walallawita
Robbie White
Essex Eagles
Middlesex
