MATCH REPORT | NOTTINGHAMSHIRE V MIDDLESEX

MATCH REPORT | NOTTINGHAMSHIRE V MIDDLESEX

Match report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.

Middlesex captain Stevie Ezkinazi set two List A world records in leading his side to a 27-run victory over hosts Notts Outlaws in their Royal London Cup Group A match at Grantham.

In making 135 out of his side’s 355, following on from his 146 against Durham and county record 182 against Surrey, Eskinazi became the first player in world cricket to score 130 or more in consecutive List A innings.

His aggregate of 463 is also a world record for three consecutive List A innings, beating 452 by Gerrie Snyman, who made 98, 158 not out and 196 for Namibia in 2007.

Eskinazi, who hit 18 fours and a six, shared a second-wicket partnership of 234 with fellow centurion Sam Robson - a List A record for Middlesex against Nottinghamshire.

Middlesex lost their last nine wickets in 15 overs as the home side fought back, but were able to defend their total despite Notts skipper Haseeb Hameed making a List A-best 114 and Ben Slater 90, supplemented by a bold 45 off just 22 balls from 18-year-old Fateh Singh. India Test pace bowler Umesh Yadav took fout for 54.

James Hayes, the 21-year-old right-arm seamer, picked up two wickets for 58 on his senior Outlaws debut, with Derbyshire-bound Zak Chappell taking three for 75.

After Hameed won the toss and chose to bowl, Brett Hutton picked up an early wicket as Mark Stoneman was leg before in the fifth over after a rapid 29, but even though the view from the Middlesex camp was that the pitch was more capricious than it looked, Eskinazi and Robson soon had its measure.

Eskinazi quickly demonstrated that his well of runs was far from exhausted, taking three boundaries off Hutton followed by another three off Dane Paterson as Middlesex put up 83 for one in the opening powerplay.

His seventh consecutive white-ball half-century came off just 37 balls and he completed his third straight hundred off 76 by cutting Chappell to the rope twice in four balls in the 30th over.

Robson, who struck four consecutive fours in Matt Montgomery’s solitary over of off-spin but had been dropped at fine leg on 52 off Chappell, moved into three figures with a cut for two off Hayes but he was dismissed in the next over, when his extravagant drive at Hutton deflected on to his stumps, sparking a Notts fightback.

Pieter Malan chipped tamely to mid-off, Eskinazi was bowled off a bottom edge pulling and both Max Holden and Luke Hollman holed out off Hayes either side of Joe Cracknell succumbing leg before sweeping.

Good catches in the deep accounted for the last three wickets as Middlesex were all out in 49.4 overs, their last nine having gone for 86 runs.

The Outlaws' chase suffered a double setback in the fifth over as Sol Bundinger’s quickfire 25 off 14 balls was ended when Umesh Yudev beat his extravagant drive, and wicketkeeper Dane Schadendorf miscued to cover. Notts emerged from the first powerplay two down for 59.

With so many regular starters absent because of The Hundred and spinner bowler Liam Patterson-White making his debut for England Lions, much depended on Hameed and Slater to put the Outlaws in contention.

They plainly did that, adding 191 in just shy of 30 overs for the third wicket, but when Sam Robson’s leg spin was introduced for the first time in the innings, Slater fell to a fine catch on the deep square leg boundary for 90 (11 fours) and Montgomery perished first ball.

Lyndon James survived the hat-trick ball but soon found the fielder at long on yet Singh brought fresh impetus to the chase, his first five balls faced containing three fours and a pulled six off Robson before Hameed brought up his century off 105 balls.

Singh soon passed his previous highest score of 21 as he continued to strike the ball cleanly and though he had an escape on 24 when put down at point he was given generous applause after being caught at deep cover for 45, his knock having brought the target down to 65 off 45 balls.

But after Hameed fell caught behind, chasing a wide ball from Toby Greatwood with 38 needed off 25, the end came quickly with Chappell, Hutton and Paterson departing in the space of six balls.