Murtagh keeps his cool

27 April 2008

Andrew Strauss drives through the off side in his innings of 33 © Getty Images

Tim Murtagh held his nerve to lead Middlesex to a six-run win over Kent in the Friends Provident Trophy at Lord’s.

Set a revised target of 173 to win in 33 overs, Kent were bowled out for 166 with Murtagh taking three wickets in the last over.

With Kent needing 12 with six balls left, Murtagh bowled Geraint Jones and had Yasir Arafat and Simon Cook caught at mid-off as he finished with 4-29.

He was backed up by South African Vernon Philander, who finished with 2-31 from seven overs thanks to some intelligent bowling at the death.

Philander bowled Darren Stevens and ran out dangerman Azhar Mahmood but blotted his copybook when bowling a no-ball in the penultimate over and letting a four go through his legs in the last.

Kent’s chase began badly as captain Robert Key was bowled for one, but Martin van Jaarsveld, with 53 from 68 balls, got them within range at 98 for three with 10 overs left.

He was bowled attempting an ambitious pull off Shaun Udal to a ball that kept low.

Stevens and Azhar put on 37 for the fifth wicket before Stevens fell to Philander and Azhar perished when he set off for a run only to be sent back.

Middlesex’s innings was reduced to 37 overs thanks to the rain, and a big total looked in prospect whilst Andrew Strauss, fresh from hitting 163 against Surrey in the first round of games last week, and Billy Godleman were going along well.

But Godleman and Owais Shah were run out in the space of eight balls and the hosts stuttered to a total of 177 for eight, which was revised when four overs were lost at the start of the Kent innings.

Godleman (43) pushed the first ball of Stevens’ spell to Key at short cover and set off for a run, only to be sent back by Strauss and stranded by Key’s sharp return.

Shah’s run-out was down to a brilliant piece of fielding from Ryan McLaren at backward point.

Shah, who thought the ball would get past McLaren, was undone when the fielder gathered it and returned it quickly to wicketkeeper Jones with Shah well short of his ground.

Yasir Arafat and Azhar, the two Pakistani bowlers, were the pick of the attack. They took 2-26 and 2-29 respectively as the Middlesex innings ended in a flurry of poor shots.

Strauss was caught in the deep for 33, Murtagh slashed Azhar down to third man and Philander holed out at long-off.