Trott heroics in vain for Warwickshire

Jonathan Trott anchored Warwickshire's innings with a magnificent 120, but it was not enough to secure victory for his side

Warwickshire’s Jonathan Trott played the innings of the day and followed it up with the catch of a lifetime, only to finish on the losing side as Middlesex held their nerve to clinch a four-wicket win with three balls to spare at Lord’s.

Trott hit 120 to guide the Bears to an imposing total of 276 for seven, but the hosts made it over the line thank to half-centuries from Phillip Hughes (57), Owais Shah (63) and Neil Dexter (69 not out).

The victory keeps alive Middlesex’s hopes of qualifying for the last eight of this year’s Friends Provident Trophy, while Warwickshire might yet pip them into the quarter-final draw should they beat Kent in their final Group B game at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

When Shah went 19 overs from the climax it appeared as though Middlesex were heading out of the competition.

However, a calm and collected innings from winter recruit Dexter, allied to a cameo 28 off 18 balls by Ben Scott, saw the Panthers secure a fourth win in eight games.

Needing to score at 5.6 runs an over from the beginning of their pursuit, Middlesex lost Billy Godleman early, bowled around his legs by left-arm swing bowler Neil Carter.

Hughes, playing his final game before joining Australia’s pre-Ashes training camp, teamed up with Shah in a hugely attractive stand of 41.

However, the left-handed Hughes' 43-ball innings came to an end when he edged Keith Barker to Bears wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.

Left-arm spinner Ant Botha then knocked the stuffing out of the Middlesex middle order by trapping Dawid Malan leg before and enticing acting captain Eoin Morgan to edge behind next ball.

Shah appeared in the mood to steer Middlesex home in cantering to a 40-ball half-century, only to hole out to wide long-off.

When Trott plucked a diving catch out of the air to account for Gareth Berg, Middlesex’s hopes of reaching the last eight appeared over.

Owais Shah helped Middlesex to their challenging target with a stylish 63

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However, Dexter and Scott, who had scored only 37 runs in his previous six innings, joined forces to see their team across the winning line.

Warwickshire total was built around Trott’s excellent 120 as he came to within one ball of carrying his bat throughout the 50 overs.

The South Africa-raised right-hander paced his innings beautifully before chipping a catch to long-off from the final ball of the innings.

Trott, 28, scored only 10 boundaries in his 142-ball stay, but his was an intelligent innings on a pitch which offered some assistance to the seamers, particularly after a period of light drizzle which umpires Neil Mallender and John Steele elected to play through.

The early fireworks came from Trott’s opening partner Carter, who blazed away to reach a 29-ball fifty with nine fours and a six.

Carter reached 68 before his luck ran out with a slight miscue to mid-on that left Warwickshire 88 for one after only 12 overs.

Middlesex tightened the screw by having Ian Bell caught behind for 13 cutting medium-pacer Berg, and Jim Troughton also went for 13 when he needlessly clipped to deep square-leg.

To make matters worse, Tim Ambrose blasted a Malan long-hop straight to short midwicket.

Warwickshire skipper Ian Westwood brought some common sense to proceedings by rotating the strike and allowing Trott to take the lion’s share.

The pair added a useful 56 in nine overs before Westwood was caught behind off Chris Silverwood.