The Middlesex Cricket D40 First XI secured their fourth win of the campaign to all-but guarantee a top two finish in the D40 Quest.
After winning the toss once more, captain James Nordin elected to bat first as Lancashire were the visitors on a boiling hot day at William Perkin School, Ealing.
After the early loss of Maddox Colby, Aryan Janjale and George Greenway put on a stand of 123 for the second wicket, with Greenway bringing up his fifty at blistering speed. With seven fours and a six, it took the Middlesex number three just 25 balls to reach the milestone, before being dismissed on 63.
It was then Janjale’s turn to reach his half-century, with his coming from 70 balls to provide a fantastic base for the Middlesex innings to kick on. He was then bowled on 56, and Sam Kumar followed in the next over, Middlesex were on 180/4 after 24 overs – just over half-way through the innings.
Nordin and Elliot Brown then added another 98 to the score as Middlesex started to think about a setting a target over 300, before the Middlesex captain was bowled for 47 from 34 balls.
Some lower order hitting from Brown (36*) and Moazzam Rashid (15*) saw Middlesex post 310/7, their highest score since June 2015.
The reply got off to a brilliant start for the hosts, with Farooq Mohammed starting his spell with a wicket maiden to have Lancashire 3/1.
After resistance from the visitor’s second wicket partnership, Kumar was the bowler to make the breakthrough, taking two in the over after a successful LBW shout followed by a catch taken by M Rashid.
He then took the next two Lancashire wickets to fall, this time claiming two in two balls, to leave our opponents on 147/5 and with a lot of work to do.
After a brilliant run-out from M Rashid saw their top scorer depart for a well-made 78, Nordin and Neil Magdani took a wicket each to add to their collection – Magdani’s via a stumping by Brown – to help wrap up a comprehensive victory for Middlesex.
With the eighth wicket falling in the penultimate over, and with the score on 241, their final two batters were absent to leave Middlesex claiming a 69 run victory.
The team put in a very impressive performance in difficult conditions, and came away with the full 30 points as a reward.
They have one fixture remaining in the D40 Quest this season, with Surrey visiting William Perkin in a couple of weeks’ time, needing a maximum of just 6 points to confirm an impressive second place finished. The 2nd XI have a crunch fixture against the same opposition next week, where a win will see them strengthen their position at the summit of the D40 Pursuit.
