Middlesex canter home at Guildford
Nick Compton makes use of the unorthodox en route to a match-winning 87 not out against hosts Surrey at Guildford
Surrey left a Guildford Cricket Festival crowd of over 3,000 hugely disappointed by slipping to an emphatic nine-wicket defeat to neighbours Middlesex in their opening NatWest Pro40 Division Two clash on Sunday.
The Panthers cantered to a nine-wicket victory with 29 balls to spare after successfully chasing down Surrey’s below par 40-over total of 213 for seven at a modest run rate of 5.32 an over.
Their pursuit got off to the best possible start courtesy of an opening stand worth 118 in 22 overs between left-handed Dawid Malan and right-handed Nick Compton, who both hit deserved half-centuries, Malan’s from 51 balls with nine fours while Compton reached the landmark from 64 balls and with six fours.
The only blip on the Middlesex run chase came just after the mid-point when Malan opted for a risky singly and was run out by Surrey’s acting-skipper Stewart Walters.
Compton then teamed up with Owais Shah to polish the job off with an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 99 to which Shah contributed a sublime 57 from 45 balls, with two sixes and six fours.
The finished their task in style; Compton clipped Stuart Meaker for four through midwicket and then drove the next ball over the ropes at extra cover for six, leaving Shah to complete the job with a pulled four off Jade Dernbach’s very next delivery.
In stark contrast the Brown Caps made a poor start to their innings, despite being invited to bat in the brightest conditions of the day on what is traditionally a quick-scoring ground.
Fit again right-arm seamer Tim Murtagh caused their early headaches having Chris Jordan (seven) caught at slip with a lifting leg cutter then, in his next over, by clipping Walters’ off stump with one that ran back up the Woodbridge Road ground slope.
Murtagh returned later in the day to dismiss his own brother Chris, who shouldered arms to an off-cutter that pegged back off stump, to give Tim excellent figures of 3-43.
The hosts regrouped from 56 for three to pass 200 with Michael Brown top-scoring with 57 from 64 balls and a cameo 48 not out from Chris Schofield.
Wicketkeeper Gary Wilson chipped in with 42, his limited-overs best for Surrey, but in fairness the total was never likely to test a strong Panthers batting order.
