Middlesex head back to Radlett tomorrow for their eighth Vitality Blast match of the campaign with only one thing on their mind – starting a winning run that will have to continue for at least six of the next seven games to give themselves any chance of reaching the knockout stages of the competition.
One win in seven matches leaves Middlesex rooted to the bottom of the South Group table and already seven points adrift of Sussex in the fourth and final qualifying spot for a quarter final knockout place.
Based on statistics from four of the last five full Blast group campaigns, when 15 points have been required to qualify for the knockout stages, Middlesex are already staring down the barrel of an early exit from the competition, unless they can turn the form book round and muster the belief and confidence they’ll need to build a winning run from here on in.
That will simply have to start on Sunday at Radlett, where Glamorgan await, where Middlesex will be looking reverse the result from last Friday when the Welshman secured a 21 run victory down in Cardiff.
Head Coach Stuart Law welcomes Afghanistan’s Mujeeb ur Rahman into the ranks, with the spinner returning to the Club after an absence last year due to Covid lockdown, although all-rounder Chris Green, who has shone in the Blast throughout his seven game spell with Middlesex departs.
Last night it was spin that got Middlesex back into the game against Surrey at the Oval and Law will be hoping that the addition of the World’s number two ranked T20 bowler will add the quality and spark his side need going into this crucial period of games.
With runs flowing freely from Stephen Eskinazi's bat, having hit a rich vein of form, and with Daryl Mitchell also slotting in beautifully and carving out a quickfire half century last night, Middlesex will be hoping that it all comes together, with bat and ball tomorrow, to turn around their poor run and get the first of a number of crucial wins on the board.
Middlesex’s squad of thirteen for the Glamorgan clash tomorrow is as follows:
Steven Finn (c)
Joe Cracknell
Blake Cullen
Stephen Eskinazi
Nick Gubbins
Tom Helm
Max Holden
Luke Hollman
Daryl Mitchell
Tim Murtagh
John Simpson (wk)
Nathan Sowter
Mujeeb ur Rahman
Middlesex
Glamorgan
