Packed house heralds T20 appeal

Coach Toby Radford has worked on Middlesex's Twenty20 Cup strategy

Twenty20 cricket is about to draw its sixth successive full house crowd to finals day - and continues to entrance a brand new following for the summer sport ... just ask Toby Radford’s mum.

Middlesex coach Radford is hoping his county’s first foray into the Twenty20 Cup’s showpiece occasion this weekend will prove their golden ticket to the Middle East riches of the Champions League.

Perhaps even more than that, though, he knows from very close to home that the attraction of Twenty20 - and consequent interest in Middlesex’s fortunes - knows no bounds.

“The Twenty20 competition has certainly captivated everyone around the county,” said Radford.

“Even my mum - who is not a big follower of the game - loves Twenty20 cricket.

“She is always on the phone checking how we are doing when we are playing, and I am sure Saturday will be no different. Let’s hope we can give her something to shout about.”

Mrs Radford’s crossed fingers stand a good chance of paying off, according to her son - who is optimistic of turning round last weekend’s NatWest Pro40 form with Middlesex’s semi-final opponents Durham, at the Rose Bowl.

He traces the Londoners’ conspicuous improvement in the shortest form of the game to several factors, including some straight talking and specific planning with captain Ed Smith.

“It’s true to say we have not done too well in Twenty20 before this year - and I sat down with Ed at the start of the year and looked at a strategy on how we could do better,” Radford recalled.

“We studied the way the players approached the Indian Premier League and the tactics involved in the game.”

Crusaders' captain Ed Smith has masterminded his side's passage to finals day at the Rose Bowl

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The result was an overhaul of basics for a Twenty20 gameplan.

“It was simple things really - like putting the quickest guys on the boundary and maybe the more experienced close within the ring,” the coach reported.

“Then it is changing the bowlers at regular intervals, so the opposition batsmen can’t settle.

“Then when it’s time for us to bat, it’s being flexible with the batting order and using someone like Tyron Henderson - who can hit big - as a ‘floater’.”

Radford is confident Middlesex - up against Durham and then, they hope, the winners of the other last-four match between Friends Provident Trophy finalists Kent and Essex - have the right men for the job.

Dawid Malan’s quarter-final hundred against Lancashire at the Brit Oval put them within two wins of their first silverware in 15 years.

A seam attack comprising the likes of Dirk Nannes and Tim Murtagh, meanwhile, will find themselves up against batsmen of the calibre of England one-day captain Paul Collingwood - with recent Test men Steve Harmison and Shaun Pollock among those able to return fire for the northerners.

But Radford believes Nannes, who already has a Twenty20 hat-trick against Essex under his belt this season, is a surprise weapon.

“Having someone like him in your side can give you the upper hand,” he said of the 32-year-old Australian.

Dawid Malan hits out en route to a match-winning century in the quarter-final against Lancashire

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“That’s what we are hoping for, as it showed when he took the hat-trick against Essex.”

Aside from his previous incarnations as a speaker of Japanese, player of the saxophone and skier of World Cup pedigree, Nannes has belatedly discovered he can propel a cricket ball quicker than most - and that, naturally, is the factor which interests Radford.

“Having someone bowling at 90mph can be a shock if you’re not expecting it - and the advantage we have is that Durham have not seen him yet,” he divulged.

“With Murtagh taking wickets in all forms of the game and with two class spinners in Murali Kartik and Shaun Udal in the side, we always feel we have a chance of taking wickets.”

Durham, of course, have the edge on recent one-day form against Middlesex - at Uxbridge last Sunday.

Radford respects the opposition but is not about to read too much into that NatWest Pro40 defeat.

“If anything it has given us an insight in to what they are about,” he added. “We have studied the tapes and know what to expect.

“They are a top-quality side, and we know we will have to perform at the top of our game if we are to win and progress to the final.”