One Of "Those" Days...

The penultimate game of the t20 for Middlesex was the London Derby against Surrey at Lord's. Middlesex won the toss and fielded (as they have done all season), with Surrey star signing Ricky Ponting missing out with a groin strain. It soon looked to be a good decision as Gareth Berg picked up Steven Davies (5) and Jason Roy (11) in the space of three balls in the third over as Surrey slipped to 17-2. Then things started to go a bit wrong as Vikram Solanki and Kevin O'Brien started pommelling the bowling with each of them making early sixes as the fifth over went for 16 and the sixth over went for 15 as Surrey reached 60-1 at the end of the powerplay.
The introduction of Ravi Patel (who picked up four wickets in the reverse fixture) did little to slow the rate as Solanki smacked him into the Tavern Stand before O'Brien swung Voges for six (to bring up the 100) and with another single, completed a 22 ball 50 with 5 fours and 3 sixes. His luck finally ran out, being bowled by Patel in the next over for 54, 107-3. Things looked up in Patel's next over as well, with Solanki holing out to Dexter for 37 and Gary Wilson being stumped by Rossington for 4, with Surrey now 117-5 after 13 overs, there was a chance they could be kept below 160. But the problem was Azhar Mahmood, who came in with the mood to give it some tap, with consecutive fours off Voges and a huge six off Kyle Mills as runs came quickly. Mahmood and Zafar Ansari added 59 in seven overs before a late flurry of wickets (Mahmood run out looking for the strike and Jon Lewis bowled by Berg) didn't detract from what was a good score that would be a good chase on a fairly flat pitch as Surrey finished 178-7, Patel (3-28) and Berg (3-37) the best bowlers.
Middlesex's reply got off to a horrible start, as Malan's heave off Mahmood went straight to Dernbach before Denly's top edge off Tremlett flew to Lewis at third man who took a good catch over his shoulder, 16-2. Then Tremlett bowled a no ball, which Stirling leaned back to and cut with full power, high over the Mound stand and out of the ground, a huge shot, but it was to be the highlight of the innings as first Voges off Tremlett (0) and then Stirling off Mahmood (19) picked out O'Brien in what was turning into a nightmare as everything in the air was caught. Eoin Morgan prodded one short of the fielder, before having a massive swing at Tremlett, and getting four down to the Mound Stand boundary before picking out Roy at point off Lewis to fall for a terrible 9 on his comeback from injury, 40-5 at the end of the powerplay and the game was up, which was soon 40-6 as Rossington offered up an easy catch for Wilson off Dernbach.
At least Gareth Berg showed some fight, hitting 2 fours off Dernbach then mashing Batty for 16 off his first over, including a straight four and a six that the man at long on parried over the rope. That was to be it though as Dexter fell LBW to Ansari for 3, then Berg was bowled by Batty for 33 off 19. Patel was also bowled by Ansari then Mills charged, missed and was stumped by Davies off Batty as MIddlesex crumbled to a pitiful 92 all out in only 14 overs to give Surrey the win by 86 runs, Ansari 2-7 and Mahmood 2-12 having the best figures, O'Brien was unsurprisingly given the man of the match award.

Spirit of 74

Another day, another t20, with Middlesex paying a visit up the A12 to Chelmsford to take on Essex. Essex won the toss and batted, injuries to Pettini and Bopara had led to a slightly unusual side being picked. Greg Smith opened with Hamish Rutherford, and Kyle Mills struck quickly with Smith edging behind to Adam Rossington 2nd ball for nought (he didn't think he hit it). The Essex hero Graham Napier was then cleaned up 2nd ball for another duck, 0-2 and Mills completed a maiden. Essex were rocked by this start, and it only got worse, as Rutherford looked to swipe Mills down the ground, only to top edge to Joe Denly at cover, 10-3 and Mills was on his way to figures of 3-4 from 3 overs. Gurjit Sandhu then came on to bowl on debut and amazingly had Jaik Mickleburgh caught behind fifth ball for 1 (echoing his first over in List A cricket last season) and then yorked the dangerous Ryan ten Doeschate first ball as Essex found themselves 12-5 in five over with their innings in tatters.
Owais Shah at least looked like scoring some quick runs as he hit 13 off Sandhu's next over but Foster was then bowled by Dexter for 3, 39-6 in the ninth over. Middlesex didn't panic and the run rate wasn't going anywhere fast as Ravi Patel and Dexter shut down Shah and Tim Phillips from scoring, and Shah was next to go, charging Patel and being easily stumped by Rossington for 39, 59-7. Phillips hit Dexter for four then hit to Malan at cover, 65-8. Adam Voges then got a bowl, and Shaun Tait attempted a huge hoick first ball, only to edge to Rossington for his fourth dismissal of the innings, 65-9. Tymal Mills then planted Voges straight into the river for six, but Topley was bowled by Berg for 1 as Essex crashed to 74 all out with 19 balls unused in their innings.
Tait came steaming in and had Stiring caught behind for two as Essex knew the game was really up but fought anyway. Denly then powered three fours off Napiers next over before skying one off Tait that Greg Smith backpeddled at mid on to, went up for the catch, and grassed it summing up Essex's night. Malan was then bowled by Tait for 10 as Middlesex found themselves 30-2 after four overs. Denly and Voges took a sensible approach to scoring the runs, as they only needed 2.5 an over, and were helped out by Tait having a meltdown, sending one wide down the legside then following it up with one even wider that went for five wides. The end came soon after, Denly hitting Phillips for four to seal the win with a club record 61 balls remaining, and bringing up the fifty partnership, Denly 34 not out, Voges 22 not out. The local booed Essex off the field and the whole game was over by 9PM, Kyle Mills taking the man of the match award for his career best 3 for 4.

Bossing from Rossington

The first T20 game covered this year was between Middlesex and Kent at Uxbridge, Middlesex won the toss and fielded first, and Kent were 12-1 after 2 overs as Rob Key chipped Toby Roland-Jones to Josh Davey at mid off for 7. It was soon 16-2 when Sam Northeast skied to Dexter at mid on off Kyle Mills for 4. Darren Stevens then hit Ravi Patel for consecutive fours before Sam Billings lifted Berg over midwicket for six as Kent had recovered to end the powerplay 38-2. Stevens hoisted Patel for another six, before holing out to Dawid Malan on the boundary for 25 off 15, 61-3. Kent's momentum stalled again as Billings edged Dexter to Rossington for 22 as Kent were 74-4 at the halfway stage.
Alex Blake and Geraint Jones were on the rebuild operation but couldn't sustain any power hitting, and Jones soon had his stumps scattered for 21, 97-5. Kent struggled to fins boundaries, and in the last four overs, they only managed two fours and a six (that too coming off a free hit by Blake off Mills) as Kent finished 140-6, a score that looked 20-30 runs light as Middlesex bowled and fielded well to give themselves a good chance of the win.
Dawis Malan and Adam Rossington opened the batting, with Malan hitting two fours in the opening over from Vernon Philander Rossington added a six and four in his next over as Middlesex made 24 after three. Stevens was unable to stop the flow, Rossington powering four fours off the over all round the wicket before hammering Mat Coles over midwicket for a massive six as Middlesex made 58 from the powerplay overs. Things didn't get much better for Kent, with Coles disappearing for another flat six over midwicket, before a cover drive for four brought up Rossington's maiden t20 fifty from 28 balls. A reverse sweep off Tredwell brought four, before he slog-swept Adam Riley over midwicket for another six (fielder caught it on the rope, but then fell over it). It was soon to end, Rossington bowled reverse sweeping Tredwell for an awesome 74 from 37 ball, 10 fours and 4 sixes. At 103 for 1 in the 11th over, the rest was a stroll really as Joe Denly found a couple of early boundaries, then lofted a lovely six into the midwicket crowd, before creaming a cover drive to end it, a nine wicket win with 26 balls remaining, Denly 33 not out, Malan 31 not out.

If You Lose It From Here...

With the summer fast descending into a damp mess, Essex took on Middlesex in a t20 match at Chelmsford.
Middlesex won the toss and batted, it looked like a reasonable decision as Joe Denly and captain Neil Dexter started steadily, Denly hitting Graham Napier over cover for four as 11 came from the first 11 balls. Dexter then fell LBW to Napier for 2 to end the over, and things started to slide from there. Adam Rossington hit Reece Topley for four, but then stuttered coming back for a 2nd after a flick to Adam Wheater in the deep on seven, James Foster completing a simple run out. Middlesex were 30-2 after the powerplay, and Dawid Malan then fell for 9, chipping the ball back down the track for Greg Smith to make a smart catch. 35-3 and things not looking up, Gareth Berg joined Denly in adding 28 for the 4th wicket without a single boundary, when Berg was bowled by Tim Phillips spin for 12. John Simpson (0) then hit to cover, hesitated, and was comfortably run out by Mark Pettini and Ryan ten Doeschate as Middlesex were only 73-5 after 15 overs.
Thankfully for Middlesex, Denly was still there, and he planted Topley straight back over his head for 6 into the sightscreen and then 4 as 17 came off the 16th over, before completed his 50 from 50 balls, a great knock given the awfulness of some of his team mates. Next ball, normal service was resumed, as Ollie Rayner nicked ten Doeschate behind to Foster for 2, and then Steven Crook was caught at short fine leg, middling a flick off his pads straight to Owais Shah. This left Middlesex 98-7 after 18 and Denly finally departed for 53, failing to middle a full toss over deep midwicket, where ten Doeschate took a good catch off Topley, then Oli Wilkin (on debut) went the same way next ball for four. 99-9, but the hundred was reached in the final over, Tom Smith swiping Napier through midwicket for four, and Toby Roland-Jones almost cleaning up Smith with a powerful straight driven four, Middlesex would fail to bat out the overs however, as Smith toed a ball just off the square, and Roland-Jones (5) charged through, with Smith (5*) not interested in the single, leaving Napier to dive, gather, and complete the run out at the bowler's end with ease. 109 all out, Topley 2-34, Phillips 1-12 and ten Doeschate 2-7 (from 2 overs) being the top bowlers. That score that should see Essex comfortably thrash Middlesex, but something unusual almost happened.
Pettini played out Rayner's first over, then dabbed the ball to point and tried a quick single, Crook, the bowler, ran in, pounced, and whilst horizontal, managed to back hand the ball onto the stumps to run out James Franklin without facing a ball, 3-1.
Pettini then decided to get a move on, swinging Smith through cover for four in consecutive overs, before swinging him downtown and into the river next ball, before treating Roland-Jones with the same contempt, a six over square leg and two more fours, meant 28 came from the 5th and 6th overs, Essex 48-1 after the powerplay. Greg Smith kept good company for Pettini, smashing Malan and Berg for fours as the required run rate dropped to four an over, Dexter using seven bowlers in the first ten overs. Pettini reached his 50 in the 11th over from 38 balls with a glorious strike for six over long off and the deal looked sealed. Smith then fell to Smith, trying a completely ridiculous switch hit from outside leg stump, to be bowled off stump for 27 from 29, and then got one to rip from outside leg stump to take Pettini's edge through to Simpson on 50, Essex now 78-3 from 12 overs.
Dexter now gambled on giving Wilkin (the eighth bowler used) his first bowl for the club, and was promptly smash for two fours over mid off by Shah, before Smith finished up his spell by having Napier (6) caught at deep square leg, a towering hit coolly caught low down by Wilkin as Smith finished with 3-24 from his four overs. Wilkin then struck, getting some inswing and low bounce to have Shah LBW for 8, 91-5 and not looking so comfortable now. Foster and ten Doeschate took Essex past 100 and seemed to be on the final stretch, but Wilkin then bowled ten Doeschate's off stump for 2 and did the same to Foster two balls later and almost yorking Phillips first ball as Essex slumped to 103-7 with 3 overs left.
It was not to be an improbable comeback, however, as Wheater reverse swept Rayner for two then four to level the score, before trying to win with a big shot, only to toe end to square leg, where Wilkin (who else?) took a tumbling catch and caused Topley to run into the dressing room to find his pads.
A wide by Rayner to David Masters next ball ended the game, but Essex only won by two wickets, as they lost 7-33 in six overs. Pettini was awarded man of the match deservedly, but Wilkin was the stand out performer, with two catches and 3-12 from three overs.

Beer Sloshes Over Essex

The 2nd game of the t20 double header was the "main" game of Essex vs Sussex. Essex won the toss and decided to bat first.
Mark Pettini and James Franklin came out to bat, and Luke Wright went for nine from the first over. Sussex then removed Pettini, caught by Chris Nash off Amjad Khan for 1, 16-1. Graham Napier was promoted to 3 as the pitch looked placid and runs were there for the taking, but, even though Franklin took consecutive fours off Naved Arif, Essex struggled to get on top. Franklin had his stumps scattered by Chris Liddle's first ball for 25 and Napier was lucky to be dropped by keeper Ben Brown off Mike Yardy after running round to a top edge, waving off the bowler, then grassing the chance.
Napier then merrily swung Liddle out of the ground next over, and followed it up with another four, as along with Ryan Ten Doeschate, Essex were 66-2 at the halfway point. Yardy's third over began quietly before Napier came on strike third ball, which disappeared over midwicket for six, next up, a four, then a no-ball, which meant a free hit, played from deep in the crease by Napier, and hammered over point for four. Suddenly 17 had come off the over, but Napier then went for another huge swing over midwicket, finding the top edge and Brown redeemed himself, clinging on to the chance this time, 83-3.
Essex edged ahead in the game again, as 13 came from Yardy's last over and 11 from Will Beer's 2nd over as Ten Doeschate hit both of them for six, before he then fell to Wright, well held by Liddle for 39 from 27, 118-4 with five overs to go.
James Foster and Adam Wheater then added the quick runs at the end, well Foster did, Wheater had 5 from 12, but Foster looked in great form. Consecutive sixes came off as Beer free flowed around around the ground (more jokes like that later) then four and six off Khan as Foster looked good while Wheater failed to get the ball off the square.
Foster went to his 50 from 26 balls, thumping Liddle for another six before scrambling another 11 to finish with a career best 65 from 31, Essex finished 177-4, 59 from the last five overs making a tough but gettable chase for Sussex.
The chase was on from ball one as Nash dumped Tim Phillips over long on for four, as he and Wright went about the chase in quick style, 14 and 9 coming off the 2nd and 4th overs from David Masters before Wright went after Phillips, going six (down the ground), four, four to take Sussex to 58-0 after the powerplay, bang on target to make the runs. Reece Topley then got blasted by Wright high over midwicket out of the ground, before coming back in his next over to get Nash, skying to Franklin at deep square leg for 31, which was quickly followed by Wright in the next over going for a big swing straight to Greg Smith at long off for 46. 88-2 at the halway point, ahead of Essex, but they had the good finish. Matt Prior started quickly and he hit Franklin for 12 in his only over, including another massive six over midwicket and into the construction site.
Greg Smith then went the same way as Franklin, four, six from his first two balls, as Sussex raced to 114-2 after 12. Prior then fell, caught by Phillips off Topley for 35 from 18 balls, 59 needed from 42, but a tight over from Phillips swung it back to Essex, then Murray Goodwin and Joe Gatting hammered 15 from Ten Doeschate's third over, including a flat six into the covered seats at cover leaving 31 to get from 24.
Napier then went into yorker mode, first one went past Foster for 4 byes, but the next crashed into Goodwin's off stump. Then Greg Smith (now bowling off spin) went for only 6 from the 18th and finished by bowling Yardy off the inside edge for 4. 17 from 12 became 13 from 8 as Gatting was bowled by another excellent yorker from Napier for 22 from 18. Beer managed to get a three to bring it down to 10 off the final over.
Foster decided to let Ten Doeschate bowl it, and Beer found the low full tosses easy enough to consecutive twos, before finding the square boundary, before levelling the scores with a single. Brown was then left with the easy task of crashing the ball to the cover boundary with the field up to win the game by six wickets with one ball remaining, despite Napier taking 2-25 from his four overs. Wright was awarded man of the match, as Sussex moved clear at the top of the table over Essex in 2nd.

Not Quite, White

A t20 on a Saturday, a collectors item in itself as Northampton (with dodgy forecast) is the venue for Northants vs Worcestershire.
Worcestershire won the toss, and decided to bat first, and found the going a bit tough (for a t20 anyway). Moeen Ali and Vikram Solanki both found the boundary, but Oli Stone then found Solanki's leg stump to fall for 8, 14-1. Chaminda Vaas and Stone then followed up with 7 off the next three overs, even a four off James Middlebrook's first over left Worcestershire 29-1 after the powerplay.
Moeen Ali then fell backing away and trying to swing Middlebrook over cover, well caught by captain Alex Wakely for 14, 33-2. This brought James Cameron to join Australian Phil Hughes for the partnership that took the game away from Northants.
It wasn't fast going, but some solid strokes brought boundaries off Middlebrook and Rob Keogh left the score 78-2 after 14 when the fireworks began. Con de Lange's first ball was smashed by Cameron for six and next over Hughes swung David Willey over long on, and followed it with two fours through midwicket (the last off a free hit) as 21 came from the over. Things got worse for Northants as Cameron absolutely annihilated a full toss from De Lange high over the West Stand at square leg, and on one bounce, out of the ground to bring up his 50 from 31 balls as 13 came from the over. Stone then got stoned for 11 off the 18th that brought up the 100 partnership for the third wicket, as Hughes also passed 50 from 47 balls. Vaas returned for his last over, and immediately had Cameron caught on the long on for 57 from 39, Hughes (52 from 50) then fell next ball, a big heave to the outswinger, and found the edge to be caught low down (somewhat bizarrely) at short third man by Stone, who then had Daryl Mitchell caught in the deep by Keogh for 1 as the late comeback left Worcestershire 142-5. Vaas was the best bowler, with 2-15 from his four overs, and Stone took 2-26.
Northants start was slow and uninspiring as Kyle Coetzer and Vaas struggled against Jack Shantry and David Lucas, and when Vaas lasered Lucas for four, he was bowled next ball for 9 off 9. Northants managed to leave things pretty even after the powerplay, partly due to Wakely's insistence of smiting Gareth Andrew to Alex Kervezee on the square leg fence for 1, 32-2.
Cameron White, the big hitting Australian then came in, but was reigned in during the spell of the match from Moeen Ali, whose off spin from the Lynn Wilson End was tight and when it did get hit, it was straight to a fielder. The innings was meandering along with 56 off the first 10, but that was all Northants really needed provided they didn't do anything stupid. Coetzer was beginning to play some good strokes, but then skied Mitchell to Ali at long off for a run a ball 33. This was the key break as Rob White then came and went for a tough 9 ball 4, heaving to Kervezee in the deep to give Mitchell another. Ali finished his 4 for only 14 runs with no boundaries, a match winning spell as it turned out.
At the other end, with the score 73-4, White decided he'd had enough of dealing with these amateurs, smashing Mitchell for a six into the roller at square leg, and then six more just past the Kervezee running round to midwicket. 16  from the 16th, but 12 an over was too much on this pitch for the others with Middlebrook hitting Shantry to long off where Cameron completed a great low catch to go for 4, 99-5.
White then hammered Lucas way over midwicket, over the groundsman's hut and out of the ground with bring up his 37 ball 50, but struggled to get the strike as Willey only succeeded in toe ending the ball to the men in the ring. White did have the last laugh in his fantastic innings, swinging the last ball of the match from Lucas effortlessly over the groundsman's hut at midwicket again as Northants ended 14 short, 128-5. White ended 62 from 42 ball with 1 four and four sixes. Mitchell took 2-29 but it was Ali's 14 run spell that got the match award. The win aids Worcestershire's quarter final push and all but eliminates Northants from the running.

Just How Close Can You Get?

With a return to the shorter format of the shortest format, Middlesex took on Essex at Lord's, in a tough south group where the hosts have struggled so far. Essex won the toss and batted first, and found the going tough, with Mark Pettini and James Franklin not blasting away against some tight bowling from Ollie Rayner, Steven Crook and Toby Roland-Jones. The powerplay brought 44 runs, and in the next over, Pettini's ambitious cut chopped Rayner onto his off-stump to go for 26, 46-1. Joe Denly then made a terrible drop of Franklin at long-on off Tom Smith, but it didn't cost much as he was stumped by John Simpson off Rayner for 23. Rayner finishing up with 2-16 off his 4 overs.
Ryan Ten Doeschate then took this as his cue to go nuts, hitting Smith for consecutive sixes in the next over, both huge hits over long-on, before doing the same in his next over. This brought up the 100 in the 14th over, and but Essex back on course for a decent total, but he fell next ball, LBW to Neil Dexter for 38 off 26. This brought in Graham Napier, who went about his merry way the rest of the over, ending it with four over cover, four through square leg, six over cover, four over cover to cart 18 from it.
The pace slowed again, as Middlesex had a strong finish to the innings, James Foster (13) holed out to Dexter off Roland-Jones, Napier (28 off 12) skied Gareth Berg to Rayner at cover and Greg Smith (14) hit Berg to Chris Rogers at long-on as only 34 came off the last four overs, Roland-Jones in particular with some accurate and fairly unplayable death bowling, leaving Essex 155-6, Middlesex needing 156 to win.
Middlesex then messed up their reply, Denly (1) swinging Tim Phillips spin to Franklin diving at mid-on. Adam Rossington then hit David Masters' first ball for four, and then swung Phillips high over long-on for six. Rogers, however, then smashed Phillips to Smith at deep mid wicket to go for 3, 19-2.
The introduction of Napier brought a wicket first ball as Malan slashed to point for 1, 26-3. Rossington fell next over, LBW to Masters for 22, perhaps unlucky, the ball looked like it was going over the stumps.
Reece Topley struck in the ninth over with the innings going nowhere, Dexter batting wide outside leg, got an edge to Foster, who was standing up and managed to trap the ball on the top of his gloves before flicking it into his gloves to complete the catch, gone for 5. Middlesex 36-5 needing 10.7 an over as Berg and Simpson rebuilt the innings, Berg hit fours in each of the next four over from Smith, Topley (a particularly good swipe through square leg off a free hit), Franklin and Phillips (a reverse sweep).
Simpson then skied to Tom Westley at cover, and Berg dumped Phillips into the Grand Stand, then was caught by Foster next ball off a reverse sweep for 39 from 36. This left Middlesex 88-7 after 15 overs with Crook and Rayner the only hope. Crook began by pulling Smith into the Mound Stand six, then followed up with six into the Grand stand and a four off Napier in the next over. Rayner then got going, four, four (inside edge), two off Franklin, then Rayner carted a Napier full toss into the Grand Stand, leaving Middlesex still in with a sniff, 19 needed from the final over. It was not to be, as Crook toe ended Smith to Pettini at deep cover to go for 22 off 10, a partnership of 49 from 26. Rayner did swing Smith for another six over cover, but couldn't fond the boundary off the penultimate ball, Toby Roland-Jones was then run out off the final ball, complete with pouring rain, by Adam Wheater and Foster coming back for a second run. Middlesex finishing 149-9, losing by six runs, Rayner finishing 39 off 21, Phillips the stand out bowler with 3-27.

An Evening of Ace Entertainment

So, to the first Twenty20 match of the year at Lord's, Middlesex vs Essex. Middlesex won the toss and decided to bat. Paul Stirling and Chris Rogers opened and String was caught off Tim Southee in the first over for 0. Scott Newman was next in and he thumped a six into the tavern off Scott Styris then pointed out to the umpire it was a no-ball as there were too many players outside the fielding circle as Middlesex raced to 44 off the first 5 overs. Southee's 2nd over brought the wicket of Newman for 22 bringing in Neil Dexter who thumped a six into the Mound Stand. Rogers then joined in the fun, heaving another six square before Ravi Bopara had him caught by Foster for 25 to leave the Panthers 67-3. John Simpson helped Dexter steady the total before Dexter was LBW to Tim Phillips for 30. Simpson, however then fell in the 17th over and Josh Davey then started hitting Southee but then in the 19th failed to get bat on ball for each of the first four balls of the over, he finished with 3-21. 12 off the final over by Graham Napier as Ryan McLaren finished 15 off 9 in 148-5. This was later boosted to 150 as a Dexter hit for four was deemed a six.
The first over of the Essex reply brought a flying catch at gully by McLaren off Steve Crook to remove Ravi Bopara for a duck. Steve Finn found Mark Pettini's outside edge first ball for Simpson to take an easy catch and went on to bowl a wicket maiden so that Essex were, incredibly, 1-2. Matt Walker and Owais Shah, playing against his former employer, upped the rate and Shah smacked McLaren into the Grand Stand for his first six. Walker then fell in the sixth over top edging Finn (2-26) to Dexter for 11. Dutchman Ryan Ten Doeschate again played to get Shah on strike who was out to prove a point as he murdered anything short as the total began to climb and at the halfway point Essex were one behind Middlesex at the same stage. Tom Smith's left-arm spin had a good day as Ten Doeschate was LBW for 17 and in his next over Smith had Styris stumped for 7. As James Foster came in Essex were 88-5 and the match was still in the balance.
Then the big turning point occured, with Foster on 7 he heaved Smith towards the Grand Stand, but hit it flat and straight to Anthony Ireland, who grabbed it, only to see it bounce out, off his knee, and down. This appeared to break the Middlesex spirit as Shah reached his 50 off 38 balls. Ireland then had his bowling demolished by both players as 50 came in 19 balls and the end arrived in the 19th over with Crook bowling a no-ball that Shah swung into the grand-stand for his 5th six to take him to 78 off 50, a thumping innings with Foster 30 off 18. So Essex in the end cruised to victory by five wickets to consign Middlesex to their third defeat in three games.