Middlesex beaten in One-Day Cup thriller

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Middlesex 161 (46.5 ov) lost to Lancashire 162-8 (48 ov) by two wickets
(Lancashire 2 pts, Middlesex 0 pts)

Middlesex were edged out in a tense finish in their Royal London One-Day Cup match at Blackpool despite strong performances from James Harris and debutant Junaid Khan.

Harris (32) and Toby Roland-Jones (29) put on 50 for the ninth wicket as the lower order dragged the visitors’ total from a dire 83-7 to 161 all out.

But Lancashire’s batsmen fared little better as they collapsed to 93-6, with Khan, signed as Middlesex’s third overseas player of the season on the eve of the match, chipping in with a couple of wickets.

A stand of 47, ended by Khan’s third wicket, got the hosts closer to their target but they required a nerveless effort from numbers nine and 10, Stephen Parry and Tom Bailey, to get them over the line.

Most of Middlesex’s batsmen made double figures but none of the top eight made more than John Simpson’s 20.

When he fell, the visitors were 111-8 but Harris and Roland-Jones added 50 in 10 overs before left-armer Parry removed both in successive balls to end the innings.

Lancashire looked well placed at 49-1 in the 10th but their middle order failed to fire as well, with Harris and James Franklin both taking two wickets.

They needed James Faulkner (35) and Jordan Clark (29) to rebuild the chase before Parry and Bailey chalked off the required runs.

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