Middlesex come up trumps at Lord's after a balanced first innings turns one-sided

SHIVAM PATHAK AT LORD'S: The main men for Middlesex, Steven Eskinazi and Max Holden, were at it again for the hosts who helped propel their side to a respectable total - yet the Sharks couldn't get started and fell well short

Lord's: Middlesex 166-7, Sussex Sharks 103-9 - Middlesex won by 63 runs 

Scorecard

What had looked like a run chase that should have been achievable quickly fizzled out, as Middlesex converted their home advantage to full effect at Lord’s.

On a cloudy yet warm evening in NW8, it had seemed an initial onslaught from the hosts' openers was blotted by a late innings counter-attack.

However, Sussex Sharks’ efforts to restrict the hosts’ run rate were instantly nullified as their top order failed to get any sort of rhythm going - struggling to break through the inner ring and ultimately falling to a defeat which rapidly became one-sided.

Middlesex, who had lost the toss and were put in, started exactly as the home fans would have hoped. Steven Eskinazi continued his dazzling run of form to storm to 59 off just 30 balls, getting the crowd going with his partner-in-crime Max Holden as they seemingly picked which corner of Lord's to score their latest boundary at will.

The pair set the tone for their side’s eventual victory - serenaded by fans who, still entranced by events on Tuesday night not too far from here, reminded the players that “football’s coming home”. 

Tymal Mills was introduced in the third over to try to stem the flow: after being dispatched by Max Holden over midwicket for six, he found his stride. The left-arm seamer got his first victim in the shape of the dangerous Joe Cracknell, though he had to wait until the 15th over to get his breakthrough. A clever change of pace drew Cracknell into holing out to a grateful Archie Lenham at third man.

He followed with a trademark in-swinger to dismiss John Simpson lbw, complete with "celebrappeal".

It has been an impressive season for Mills, who now has eight wickets in his last three games in the Blast. He now has 140 wickets in his domestic T20 career, and his high speed and deadly accuracy remain one of the worst kept secrets on the domestic short-form circuit. 

He will be a prized asset for the Southern Brave in The Hundred this summer, but Mills has made it no secret that he wants more. Misfortune with injuries slowed down his career, but Eoin Morgan was recently happy to confirm that Mills was certainly in the mix for T20 World Cup selection, describing him as “outstanding”. And his latest run out will not have changed Morgan's mind.

^{Max Holden helped to lead the initial Middlesex charge}

The Sharks’ pursuit got off to a slow start, Luke Wright first falling victim to a clever change of length from Tom Helm, and Australian hard-hitter Travis Head struggled.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman snagged Phil Salt, caught by a grateful Steven Eskinazi at short mid-on, who hardly had to move. After slowing the Middlesex innings in their final eight overs, it had seemed the game had tipped in the Sharks’ favour, but tight bowling from the Afghan spinner left the visitors frustrated in the powerplay. 

Wickets fell quickly, and the very avoidable departure of David Wiese following a shot which seemed full of frustration meant that by the time the Sharks had reached 50, the required rate was already starting to creep out of sight.

Nineteen-year-old Blake Cullen would have had his coach nodding in approval from the dugout; he kept it "by the book": full and quick, meaning Head simply couldn’t get the ball away, until the No.3 was finally castled in the 10th over, giving the teenager the wicket he clearly deserved.

Aaron Thomason and Ravi Bopara were quick to join him back in the dressing room - Cullen and Nathan Sowter doing the damage in the middle of the Sharks’ innings. 

Sowter joined Cullen on three wickets for the evening, finishing with figures of 3 for 13.

"It was probably our best bowling performance of the season", Sowter told The Cricketer.

"We were smart with our field changes, bowled aggressively and put pressure on the batsmen. Some results haven't gone our way, but we're learning, we've still got four big games to go."

He went to admire the raw quality of Mujeeb, saying: "We're a bit in awe of what he can do. Sometimes we feel like spectators watching him - can't imagine how the batsmen feel."

Sussex coach James Kirtley said: "I told the lads at the start of the season I want to see evidence of match-winners. If I see them in that role, they will be selected. Whether it's Harrison Ward, Archie Lenham - I'm sure these guys will come to the fore when it matters the most".