Middlesex will pull together - Joyce

Acting captain Ed Joyce is hoping Middlesex's first trophy success for 15 years will help to unite the county after admitting supporters were right to be unhappy with performances earlier in the season.

Joyce and his team-mates lifted the Twenty20 Cup when they gained a thrilling victory over Kent in yesterday's final to secure a place in the Champions League this winter - and a possible £2.5 million jackpot.

It was all in stark contrast to the unrest that has surrounded the club as a section of members called for an EGM and a vote of no confidence in the committee after a poor start to the season, although this was subsequently withdrawn.

There are also several leading players out of contract at the end of the season including Joyce himself, the Rose Bowl man-of-the match Owais Shah and quarter-final hero Dawid Malan.

But Joyce, who is deputising as skipper for the injured Ed Smith, now wants everyone to pull together and he is confident Middlesex can be a major force in the Champions League.

He said: "Will winning this trophy help to pull the club together? I hope so because we haven't won something for a long time and the fans deserve it more than anything.

Ed Joyce has been deputising as captain for Ed Smith for the Twenty20 Cup campaign

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"There was unrest at the start of the year, and probably rightly so. We started the season pretty poorly again and the supporters were within their rights to do that (call for an EGM).

"Funnily enough we started playing well straight afterwards. That was a bit of coincidence but there was a bit of unrest and there are guys out of contract.

"I think that is coincidence more than anything but hopefully everything can get sorted out and we can win more trophies."

Joyce insists he has no plans to leave Middlesex and Shah has intimated he would also like to pledge his future to the county.

He said: "Listen, I don't think anyone would want to leave the county. I've been a Middlesex player since I came over here to England.

"It would have to be a seriously good reason to leave the county you feel a part of. I can't really see it. I haven't heard anything from any county. I haven't spoken to anyone.

"Will Shah stay? You will have to ask Owais that but I would have thought so. He is a Londoner himself. There is no reason why he shouldn't - especially after Saturday."

Shah said: "My contract is up at the end of the season but I'm quite happy at Middlesex. We've got to negotiate and all that but at the moment I'm very happy at Middlesex.

"I couldn't be any happier after winning this trophy. The contracts of myself and Ed (Joyce) are up and that's common knowledge but I'm sure the club and the players are going to work together to make sure we try and stay at the club."

Joyce feels the Crusaders have the right balance in their squad to do themselves justice when the mega bucks are on offer in India this October.

Owais Shah, who scored 75 in the final, wants to pledge his county future to Middlesex

But he admits he may have to combine the trip with his honeymoon as he is due to marry his fiance at that point of the winter.

Joyce said: "I think we can do ourselves justice in the Champions League. I think we've got a great template. We've got two of the best spinners in Twenty20.

"These guys (Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik) just don't get hit that much.

"Justin Kemp took a liking to Kartik in one over in the final but generally they've gone for only six an over through the Twenty20. They do really well and we've got a really good formula for the other guys as well.

"When you look at our batting, we've got young guys like Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan who are quite unorthodox and hit the ball very well and we've got other guys who back them up like 'TH' (Tyron Henderson) and Owais (Shah).

"I think we've got a good formula and, whoever we play against in the future, if we play to our potential we should do fine.

"I am actually getting married in the middle of October. I am planning to be on honeymoon then so that could be a bit of a spanner in the works - but hopefully my new wife will be able to come away as well."

Middlesex's success also qualifies them for the Stanford Super Series including a match against England.

Joyce said: "It will be quite fun and, because we've had a lot of time together, we might be at a bit of an advantage there.

"England have had a bit of chopping and changing in the Twenty20 squad and they don't play that much so they probably haven't got that mix we have got, the experience of playing 12 games this season.

"People will say England should win - and probably they should - but we've got a decent chance as well."