Middlesex star Murtagh hoping to avoid end-of-season drama
Just like England’s cricketers, evergreen Middlesex paceman Tim Murtagh is enjoying an Indian summer – but says his late-season form will mean nothing if the club can’t avoid the clutches of relegation.
Murtagh, 33, took the fourth 10-wicket haul of his first-class career at Lord’s last week, yet two batting collapses saw visitors Durham cruise to victory by 141 runs.
The defeat left Middlesex nervously looking over their shoulders at the Division One drop zone, after a run of eight County Championship games without a win.
A draw in their penultimate match at Somerset this week should all but see them safe, while an elusive victory would guarantee it – but if they were to lose, the final relegation spot will be decided in a winner-takes-all clash with Lancashire at Old Trafford.
Murtagh told West London Sport: “It’s been a struggle this second half of the summer but that’s sometimes how seasons go. It’s still very much in our own hands.
“None of us want to go up to Old Trafford at the end of the season with everything still riding on it because it’ll be very tough in their own conditions.
“So this [against Somerset] is a massive game for us. We’ve got to pick ourselves up and put in one more big effort, play positive cricket and get a result.”
Murtagh is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Division One this season, with his 54 wickets coming at an average of 27.5, and he needs just eight more across the last two matches to make it his most prolific season since 2011.
Prior to his two five-fors against Durham, he also took 3-74 and 2-32 in the match with Warwickshire earlier this month and the London-born Ireland bowler credits his recent good form with being left out of the last two Royal London Cup one-dayers.
He said: “I had a bit of a rest where I didn’t bowl during the end of our one-day series and that seemed to refresh me a little bit.
“I’ve found it a little bit more of a struggle this year, as wickets have been pretty good generally throughout the country, but I’ve been happy with the way the last couple of games have gone.”
Murtagh, a very popular player at Lord’s since crossing the Thames from Surrey in 2007, says he won’t be considering his future until his contract runs out in two years’ time.
He said: “That’ll take me up to 35 and we’ll reassess then. But I’m loving my cricket and loving my bowling and love contributing to this great club.”
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