Tomorrow, Middlesex begin their latest Rothesay County Championship clash of the season, when they take on Division Two league leaders Leicestershire at the Uptonsteel County Ground in Leicester.
Middlesex’s Interim First Team Coach, Dane Vilas, has named a squad of fourteen for the must-win encounter in the east midlands, with sights set on securing the first win of his reign, after suffering a disappointing defeat to Northamptonshire last week at Wantage Road.
There were many positives to take from last week’s performance, in a game that Middlesex had every right to take something from, however Northamptonshire’s dogged fourth innings run chase, in reply to Middlesex’s tactical declaration to push for the win, earned them the 16 points for the win.
It was a roll of the dice that Middlesex had to take on the final day of the game, in their search for victory, that just didn’t pay off on the day, although Middlesex, having picked up six of the ten Northamptonshire wickets they needed for victory, will be ruing several missed opportunities in the field that could have seen them get over the line and bag the points themselves.
First innings runs for Leus du Plooy and Joe Cracknell were most welcome, with Cracknell hitting his career-high first-class score, but it was the rate that they were scored at that was most impressive, as the side amassed 413 in 101 overs to secure four batting points – almost doubling our batting points tally from the previous seven games this term.
Second innings runs for Sam Robson, Josh De Caires, Max Holden and Ryan Higgins helped set things up for the declaration before lunch on the final day, although it was not to be, with Northants chasing victory down in the final overs of four gripping days of cricket.
Middlesex bring young seamer Ishaan Kaushal into the squad for the first time in this Championship season, with the right armer replacing Noah Cornwell in Vilas’ fourteen-man squad, and should he start in Leicester, he would be making his first-class debut.
That’s the only change to the squad that was named to face Northamptonshire last week, and Vilas will be hoping to see much of the same intensity and fight from his players as he saw last week, when the side played with real positive intent and aggression throughout the game .
This week they come up against many people’s surprise package of the season, in Leicestershire, who are defying all the pundit’s pre-season predictions, and are sitting proudly at the top of the Division Two table, some way clear of those chasing them.
Their unbeaten record of five wins and three draws from their opening eight encounters sees them sitting on 155 points, some 33 points clear of Derbyshire in second, and 78 points northbound of Middlesex currently, who lie in eighth.
Middlesex can now realistically only shift their target to second place if the side are to achieve their aspirations of promotion this year, and that will require a phenomenal run of results in the remaining six matches, in which you’d suggest no fewer than four, if not five wins would suffice to give them any chance of securing promotion.
Currently the side trail Derbyshire in second place by 45 points, and are 33 points behind Glamorgan in third, so nothing less than a string of positive results and wins for Middlesex, combined with a downturn in form from the sides above them will give them any chance of achieving this season's goal in the four-day competition.
Leicestershire’s incredible run of form has been strung together with a collection of all-round performances with both bat and ball, although it’s with the ball that they’ve had most success and puts them where they are in the table!
Each of Logan van Beek (30), Ian Holland (28) and Ben Green (26) sit inside the top thirteen wicket takers in the country this season across both divisions, so it’s easy to see where they are cashing in and getting positive results.
The seam trio are a real handful, as Middlesex found out to their cost at Lord’s earlier this summer, when Holland picked up six wickets in the game and van Beek and Green four apiece, as the Foxes secured a seven wicket win at the Home of Cricket. Middlesex will need to find a way to combat their threat this week if they are to get the win they need in the bag.
Last time the two sides met at the Uptonsteel County Ground, the hosts ran out winners by 123 runs. After four wickets apiece for Toby Roland-Jones and Ryan Higgins helped dismiss Leicestershire for just 179, Green then played his part with the ball for Leicestershire, as his 4 for 28 helped roll Middlesex for just 86. With Leicestershire posting 372 in their second innings, despite Roland-Jones collecting a five wicket haul, the chase proved too much for Middlesex, as their total of 342 left them short of the target.
Middlesex will be looking to pull on all the positives from their performance at Northampton as they go into this one, and will aim to play with the same purpose and drive as they did last week. Leicestershire have the luxury of knowing that a drawn from this one won’t do them too much harm, whilst Middlesex will need to drive the game their way and force the play aggressively to ensure the outcome is a positive result in their favour. It promises to be a thrilling contest over the coming four days in Leicester.
Dane Vilas has named the following fourteen-man squad for this week’s encounter:
Leicestershire Men
Middlesex Men
