Middlesex CCC Match Preview - 04/08/2022

Leicestershire will be looking to back up their opening round success at Guildford with victory on another outground, as the Foxes face Middlesex at Radlett.

Nick Welch hit his maiden career ton in a record-breaking 141-run partnership with Wiaan Mulder, who finished unbeaten on 71, during a convincing seven-wicket win over Surrey on Tuesday.

Led by Stevie Eskinazi, Middlesex will be starting their campaign on the back of mixed form in their two warm up fixtures. A 174-run win over Hertfordshire on Tuesday followed a surprise six-wicket defeat to Berkshire on Sunday.

Last Time We Met:

You have to rewind to 2013, and a different variation of the format, to find the last List A meeting between the two sides. It was nine years ago this month that Middlesex emerged victorious at Lord’s by four wickets in the Yorkshire Bank 40.

They chased down 275 with ten balls to spare, thanks to 90 from skipper Eoin Morgan and mainstay wicketkeeper John Simpson’s unbeaten 58.

Ned Eckersley had earlier struck 73 to top-score for the Foxes, while Tom Wells clubbed 31 from just 11 deliveries, but it proved to be in vain as the hosts got over the line in the penultimate over.

In Focus:

After a starring role in Tuesday’s opening round victory against Surrey, Beuran Hendricks will be looking to take centre stage again at Radlett.

The left-armer took four for 39 from his ten overs at Guildford, to back up another economical performance at Knypersley on Sunday, where his six overs yielded just 19 runs.

Hendricks has admirable white-ball pedigree, with 112 List A career wickets at 31.5 to his name, while he has represented South Africa on eight occasions in the format.

The 32-year-old will need to be at his best again with the new ball, given Middlesex’s expected experienced top order line-up comprising Stevie Eskinazi, Mark Stoneman, Sam Robson and Pieter Malan.

Opposition Player to Watch:

Middlesex skipper Eskinazi poses a huge threat to the Running Foxes’ attack. He arrives with a huge score of 160 from 113 balls against Hertfordshire on the eve of the competition, laying the platform for his side to amass just shy of 400 in Tuesday’s win.

He has previous in the format, averaging 40.84 at a healthy 95.21 strike rate. 201 of his runs came from his four innings in the 2021 campaign, in which he averaged over 50 striking at 104.14.

If the Foxes are to have success at Radlett, removing the home captain early in his innings is almost imperative.

Squad:

Leicestershire Foxes: Bowley, Hendricks, Hill *, Kimber, Lilley, Mulder, Patel, Scriven, Steel, Swindells +, Walker, Welch, Wright.