Middlesex keep up with the rate

Tim Murtagh and Ben Scott combined to take two wickets at Lord's © Getty Images

Middlesex rounded off their Friends Provident Trophy campaign with an 18-run victory over Essex Eagles at Lord’s under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

The Crusaders had scored 120 for two from 25 overs when bad light stopped play, after Essex’s Ryan ten Doeschate had earlier struck a brilliant 97 off 93 balls out of a total of 244 for eight from their 50 overs.

Openers Ed Smith and Billy Godleman got off to a flying start and shared a first-wicket partnership of 56 in 11 overs before Smith fell for 22. Playing across the line, the Middlesex captain was trapped leg before off the bowling of David Masters.

Shaun Udal, pushed up the order to number three, smashed 34 runs in unorthodox fashion before he was dismissed with Danish Kaneria’s first ball before bad light and then rain brought an abrupt end to the play - and ended any hopes Essex held of a home tie in the quarter-finals.

Having been put into bat, ten Doeschate came to the Eagles’ rescue after Middlesex had earlier reduced them to 61 for four, thanks to some perfect swing bowling from Tim Murtagh who finished with figures of 2-28.

He was denied his first one-day century for Essex in the final over when he missed an in-swinging full toss from Vernon Philander and saw his leg stump knocked out of the ground.

Along with James Foster, ten Doeschate shared a fifth-wicket stand of 120 from only 109 balls after the loss of those early wickets.

Ryan ten Doeschate's innings of 97 was not enough to give Essex top spot

First to go was skipper Mark Pettini for a duck in the second over of the innings. Looking to force the ball through the legside, Pettini was beaten by the length and swing movement and given out leg before.

Next to fall, in the 12th over, was Jason Gallian for 11. The former Nottinghamshire opener had just despatched Philander to extra cover but with the next ball, Gallian was surprised by a bouncer and could only fend it to slip.

Middlesex’s Steve Finn took a wicket in his first over, removing the in-form Ravi Bopara for just five.

Having previously steered Finn to the fine-leg boundary, Bopara was deceived by a ball that came back into him and trapped leg before wicket.

The fourth wicket to fall was that of Varun Chopra who, after scoring a quickfire 39, looked to drive Finn but only succeeded in edging to Godleman at slip who took a one-handed catch low to his left.

Then both Foster and ten Doeschate took over, playing some delightful shots either side of the wicket, and seizing on anything that was short or over pitched, before the return of Murtagh saw the dismissal of Foster for 43.

Foster was beaten by the late movement from the Middlesex seamer and edged to Ben Scott behind the stumps.

The same combination accounted for James Middlebrook (two) six runs later, before Graham Napier holed out to deep mid-wicket for seven to leave the Eagles on 199 for seven.

Another 43 runs were added before ten Doeschate departed with Alex Tudor unbeaten on 16 at the close.