Middlesex kick off their Royal London Cup campaign at Radlett Cricket Club tomorrow when they host Leicestershire at the Brunton Memorial Ground, in a game starting at 11am.
It is the first of four home Royal London Cup matches the Club will play at Radlett in August, with Lord’s unavailable for the month, as London Spirit take over residency at St. John’s Wood to compete in the Hundred over the next four weeks.
Middlesex head into the fifty-over opener off the back of a confidence boosting 174 run victory, secured against Hertfordshire on Tuesday at West Herts Cricket Club in Watford, in the second of two NCCA showcase matches played this week.
In the first of those two NCCA clashes, on Sunday at Falkland Cricket Club in Newbury, Middlesex were undone by Berkshire, who ran out winners by 6 wickets against an under-strength Middlesex side that saw several key players rested - and their return to the side to face Hertfordshire yesterday made an enormous difference.
All six players returning to action had an influence on the game, as Middlesex, batting first, piled on the runs - hitting 392 for 8 in their allotted fifty overs. With ball in hand, they then dismissed the National County side for just 218 inside 41 overs to secure a comprehensive victory.
Stephen Eskinazi, returning as opener and captaining the side, smashed a brilliant 160 off 113 balls, putting on 201 for the first wicket in 28 overs with Mark Stoneman hitting 67 off 79 deliveries himself.
Sam Robson added a useful 29 at number three and picked up a wicket with his occasional spin, whilst Pieter Malan, batting at four, added a rapid 19 and also picked up a wicket with his seam.
Luke Hollman, coming in at seven, hit a quick-fire 31 off just 21 balls, whilst Ethan Bamber picked up the wickets of both Hertfordshire openers and finished with figures of 2 for 25.
Other notable contributions came from Joe Cracknell, who followed up the century he hit against Berkshire on Sunday with a rapid half-century, hitting 57 off just 24 balls, whilst Martin Andersson and Thilan Walallawita picked up two wickets apiece with the ball.
All are named in the squad for Middlesex’s Royal London Cup opener tomorrow against Leicestershire, as is Umesh Yadav, Middlesex’s Indian overseas quick, who returns to action having been rested for both NCCA showcase clashes this week.
Leicestershire will arrive at Radlett in confident mood themselves, having already kicked off their Royal London Cup campaign yesterday with a convincing win over Middlesex’s London rivals Surrey, who they beat by seven wickets at Woodbridge Road in Guildford.
South African left-arm quick Beuran Hendricks ripped through Surrey’s batting line-up, picking up four wickets for just 39 in his ten overs, whilst Tom Scriven, making his List-A debut for Leicestershire, picked up 2 for 46 as Surrey were reduced to just 246 for 8 in their fifty overs.
In reply, Zimbabwean born Nick Welch led the Foxes reply from the front, with the opener hitting a commanding 127 not out from 125 balls. He was well supported by Leicestershire’s other overseas addition, South African Wiaan Mulder, who hit an unbeaten 71 off 65 balls, as the Foxes coasted to victory with ten overs to spare.
Both sides will be missing key players for tomorrow’s clash however, with Hundred call-ups accounting for nine absentees collectively across both squads.
Middlesex miss five players, with Eoin Morgan, Tom Helm, Toby Roland-Jones, John Simpson, and Nathan Sowter all absent, with Leicestershire are without four, with Colin Ackermann, Callum Parkinson, Ben Mike, and Rehan Ahmed all absent.
Middlesex and Leicestershire haven’t met in a List-A fixture since all the way back in 2013, in the Yorkshire Bank 40, when Middlesex won both encounters, by ten wickets at Grace Road and by four wickets at Lord’s. Only Eoin Morgan, Tim Murtagh, Toby Roland-Jones, and John Simpson remain at Middlesex from the sides that met twice that year, although none of them will feature at Cobden Hill tomorrow. Middlesex finished third in their Group that summer, narrowly missing out on qualification for the semi-finals to Glamorgan, who went on to lose in the final at Lord’s to Nottinghamshire.
Middlesex have named the following thirteen-man squad to face Leicestershire tomorrow:
Stephen Eskinazi (Captain)
Martin Andersson
Ethan Bamber
Joe Cracknell
Jack Davies
Toby Greatwood
Max Holden
Luke Hollman
Pieter Malan
Sam Robson
Mark Stoneman
Thilan Walallawita
Umesh Yadav
Middlesex
Leicestershire Foxes
