Trescothick tears Middlesex to pieces
MIDDLESEX face crunch time in the Friends Provident t20 over the next few days after being obliterated by Marcus Trescothick's superb knock at Taunton.
The former England opener hammered 83 from just 38 deliveries on Sunday to set up a match-winning total of 204-5 as Somerset inflicted a 79-run defeat on the Panthers.
That left Middlesex sixth in the South Group and realistically needing to beat both Surrey Lions at The Oval tonight and Hampshire Royals at Uxbridge on Saturday to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
Somerset, who look certain to qualify themselves, put the game virtually out of reach after Tim Murtagh had captured the early wicket of former Panthers man Nick Compton for six.
Trescothick blasted 11 fours and four sixes in a second-wicket stand of 128 with James Hildreth (48) before both he and Kieron Pollard fell in quick succession to Owais Shah (2-26).
Somerset seemed to have stalled at 151-5 when Tom Smith (2-32) got rid of Zander de Bruyn and Hildreth, but Jos Buttler (22 not out) and Arul Suppiah (26no) finished with a flourish to take the home side past 200.
Debutant Jackson Thompson gave Middlesex hope with some early boundaries in his innings of 32 and, together with Scott Newman (19) and Shah (26) took the visitors to 73-1.
But another Panthers old boy, spinner Murali Kartik, dispatched Thompson, Shah and Dawid Malan, and a procession of wickets followed, with Tyron Henderson (17) the only other batsman to reach double figures as Middlesex folded for 125 in the 18th over.
The Panthers had boosted their t20 chances two days earlier with a shock five-wicket success over group leaders Sussex Sharks at Hove.
Murtagh (3-24) and Henderson (3-25) reduced the Sharks to 76-8, with Gareth Berg and Neil Dexter also bowling tightly to finish with 1-14 apiece, although the home side recovered to 140-9.
But it was not enough as Newman (30) and David Warner (28) opened up with a partnership of 63 and Shah followed with 34 before Dexter (20no) and Berg (9no) saw the Panthers home with four balls to spare.
n OWAIS Shah top scored with 61 as Middlesex were soundly beaten in their 50-over clash with Bangladesh at Lord's on Monday.
Danny Evans took 3-51 as a young Middlesex side conceded 301-7 and were bowled out for just 160 in the 40th over.
|
|
|
|
|
|