Middlesex has named a squad of thirteen to face Hertfordshire on Tuesday 2nd August at West Herts Cricket Club in Watford, in what is the second of two National Counties Cricket Association fixtures being played this week. Tomorrow's encounter gets underway at 11am.
Yesterday Middlesex were one of three First-Class counties to be beaten by their National County neighbours, as Berkshire ran out winners against Middlesex by six wickets at Falkland Cricket Club, with Surrey also losing to Buckinghamshire and Durham suffering defeat at the hands of Lincolnshire.
With Middlesex resting key players for yesterday's encounter, giving several squad members time to recover from a gruelling County Championship schedule over the past few weeks, Berkshire made the most of their opportunity against Middlesex's weakened side to record a terrific win for the National County.
A brilliant hundred from Joe Cracknell was the standout performance for Middlesex, as his superb knock of 147 off 94 balls helped his side to a total of 350, as Middlesex were bowled out inside 45 overs. He was well supported by Jack Davies, who hit a fine 74 off 50 balls, with Josh De Caires (33), Thilan Walallawita (27) and Daniel O'Driscoll (22) also chipping in.
In reply the National County players went at their chase with relish from the very first ball, with their openers putting on 76 for the first wicket in just 11 overs, before Archie Carter was caught by Martin Andersson off Walallawita for 29.
Euan Woods, batting at three, and Charlie Dunnett, at four, both came and went cheaply, with De Caires and Ishaan Kaushal picking up the wickets, although this brought Dan Lincoln to the crease to join opener Johnny Connell, who was striking the ball brilliantly and by now and had already passed fifty.
Former Middlesex man, Lincoln, released by the Club at the end of the 2020 season, had a point to prove, and went on the attack from the outset.
The pair built a match-winning partnership of 189 for the fourth wicket, in rapid fashion, with both batters hitting deserved centuries.
Lincoln's aggressive knock came to end in the 38th over, with the score on 332 for 4, eventually dismissed by Martin Andersson for 123, hit off just 65 deliveries, in an innings which included 6 maximums and 13 boundaries.
Connell finished unbeaten on 150, hit off 118 balls, hitting 7 sixes and 14 fours, and fittingly hit the winning runs in the 41st over, despatching Max Holden for a maximum to take his side over the victory line and bring up his one hundred and fifty in the process.
On paper, it was a chastening defeat for Middlesex, however the squad picked for tomorrow's clash against Hertfordshire will be much more representative of the side that the Club will be fielding for the forthcoming Royal London Cup campaign, so judgement on the side and any reaction to the defeat to a National County would be best reserved until after tomorrow's encounter in Watford.
Stephen Eskinazi, Mark Stoneman, Sam Robson, Pieter Malan, Luke Hollman and Ethan Bamber all return to the squad to strengthen things up, with Eskinazi leading the side out tomorrow, although Umesh Yadav is still rested for tomorrow's clash.
The side will be missing Eoin Morgan (London Spirit), John Simpson (Northern Superchargers), Tom Helm (Birmingham Phoenix), Toby Roland-Jones (London Spirit) and Nathan Sowter (Oval Invincibles) - all who have reported for duties with their Hundred franchises and will be absent through the month of August. Morgan, Simpson, Helm and Sowter have been retained by their respective franchises from 2021, whilst Roland-Jones has been called up as a replacement to Spirit following Blake Cullen's withdrawal from the tournament through injury.
Middlesex's thirteen-man squad for tomorrow's clash is as follows:
Hertfordshire
Middlesex
