Men’s Head Coach Peter Fulton has named a squad of 13 for tomorrow’s top-of-the-table clash in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash against Durham at Banks Home Riverside.
There are a number of changes from the squad that defeated Yorkshire at the Home of Cricket on Sunday. Sam Robson is unavailable due to a knee injury; he’s expected to be out for two weeks, and Tom Helm has returned to Birmingham Phoenix. Luke Hollman is back in the squad, having recovered from an injury which has kept him out for most of the tournament.
Middlesex’s opening pair of Josh de Caires and Nathan Fernandes have impressed in this tournament so far, scoring over 500 runs between them this campaign. With Robson not making the trip up to Chester-le-Street, Ben Geddes will likely bat at three, as he did against Yorkshire; however, with Hollman returning, Peter Fulton may look to promote him to the top of the order, with the skipper returning to his usual spot at four.
Joe Cracknell will feel disappointed with the number of runs he has scored this campaign; however, he has been superb with the gloves this tournament, with 13 dismissals to his name, the most in the competition.
Jack Nelson showed his class in just his second professional game against Yorkshire, striking 76 runs. His 94-run partnership with Zafar Gohar came at a crucial time, as Middlesex found themselves in trouble having lost five wickets in 14 overs.
Gohar stole the show with the ball against the White Rose, claiming figures of 4/24 from his 10 overs. He was the man who made the crucial breakthrough, removing James Wharton, to break his partnership with Will Bennison.
Middlesex’s seamers have been exceptional this tournament. Noah Cornwell and Naavya Sharma both have 11 wickets this year. Toby Roland-Jones has impressed all with his work with the new ball. The 38-year-old has been Middlesex’s most economical bowler this campaign.
Sam Robson was the hero for Middlesex when these two sides last met in this format. His unbeaten knock of 169 helped Middlesex chase down a mammoth total of 387 with two overs to spare. David Bedingham and Alex Lees both scored centuries for Durham in that one; both are expected to be in the squad. Also expected to be in Durham’s squad is former England Test Captain Ben Stokes. The all-rounder has featured in all of Durham’s games in the tournament, scoring 193 runs, including an unbeaten century against Derbyshire.
Middlesex currently sit atop the Group B table, with Durham occupying third place, with only net run rate separating the sides, showing how crucial tomorrow’s fixture is with both sides looking for a place in the knockout stages.
Tomorrow’s game will be played under the lights, with play scheduled to get underway at 1:30 pm. You will be able to watch all the action live in the Match Centre on the Middlesex website, and you can stay up to date across our social media channels, including our new WhatsApp channel.
Middlesex squad to take on Durham:
Ben Geddes (c)
Henry Brookes
Noah Cornwell
Joe Cracknell
Josh de Caires
Jack Davies
Nathan Fernandes
Zafar Gohar
Luke Hollman
Jack Nelson
Toby Roland-Jones
Aaryan Sawant
Naavya Sharma
Durham Cricket Men
Middlesex Men
