Middlesex into T20 quarters after Higgins heroics

Middlesex qualified for the T20 Blast quarter-finals for the first time since 2008 after George Bailey’s 76 and Ryan Higgins’ 5-13 saw them thrash Hampshire in Southampton.

Having helped steer their side to victory over Surrey 24 hours previously, Bailey and John Simpson compiled another perfectly paced stand, this time of 114, to set the hosts a target of 182.

Higgins’ first career five-for made sure Hampshire’s chase never got going, and his final wicket ended an eight-year struggle to get out of the competition’s group stage.

Dawid Malan returned for Middlesex having smashed an unbeaten 185 for England Lions on Thursday but he only made 11 before being caught and bowled by Ryan McLaren.

England one-day skipper Eoin Morgan fell soon after and Paul Stirling was bowled to leave Middlesex 40-3 at the end of the powerplay.

But then came Bailey and Simpson’s mammoth stand – the Australian was first to reach 50, from 38 balls, while wicket-keeper Simpson followed in a slightly quicker 32 deliveries, helped by three sixes.

The partnership stretched from the seventh over to the 19th, when Simpson picked out Joe Weatherley on the midwicket rope.

In reply, Hampshire lost both openers in the fourth over – James Fuller the bowler – but stand-in skipper Sean Ervine and England international Liam Dawson ticked along with a promising stand of 40.

However, the hosts were stunted again when Dawson became Higgins’ first victim, and Shahid Afridi was caught by Fuller at deep square leg off Steven Finn.

Ervine had made a rapid 36 before Higgins’ slower ball pegged his middle stump back and the trundle of wickets continued in a later over when the 21-year-old took two in two balls.

Lewis McManus then nicked off to Finn, Brad Taylor mistimed a Fuller delivery to short third man and Brad Wheal was castled by Higgins to seal the win.