Middlesex beaten despite Gubbins knock
Middlesex 296-9 (50 ov): Gubbins 89, Stirling 58; Trego 2-27
Somerset 297-6 (49 ov): Trego 104; Rayner 2-40, Harris 2-63
Somerset (2 pts) beat Middlesex (0 pts) by four wickets
Half-centuries from Nick Gubbins and Paul Stirling were not enough as a Peter Trego-inspired Somerset chased down 297 for victory in the Royal London One-Day Cup at Taunton.
Gubbins made 89 off 78 balls, including three sixes, while Stirling hit 58 and James Fuller scored a rapid 42 not out as Middlesex posted 296-9.
Peter Trego removed Stirling and fellow opener Ryan Higgins and then went on to make a century to help his side to victory.
Somerset won with an over to spare, Trego hitting nine fours and a six in his 104, while Lewis Gregory contributed 69 and Roelof van der Merwe 41. Ollie Rayner was the pick of the Middlesex attack with 2-40.
Middlesex had been given a solid start by Stirling and Higgins (39), who led them to 83-0 in the 18th over.
After both had departed, Gubbins hit the first six of the innings off Craig Overton but Middlesex could never put a charge on against some accurate Somerset bowling.
Eoin Morgan (13) and George Bailey (11) went cheaply, though Gubbins remained and shared a fifth-wicket stand of 58 with John Simpson (27).
Fuller provided some late acceleration with successive sixes off Groenewald, but a couple of late run-outs left Middlesex short of 300.
They made the early breakthrough they were craving when Somerset skipper Jim Allenby fell for a duck to James Harris, while Johann Myburgh had to retire hurt with a side injury having made 22.
Mahela Jayawardene (28) helped Trego add 63 before being well caught one-handed above his head by Morgan at mid-wicket off Ollie Rayner.
Middlesex were one bowler down, with Fuller suffering a side strain, and Trego and Gregory took full advantage in a fourth-wicket partnership of 86 in 15 overs, which ended when the centurion was bowled by Rayner.
The visitors were left to rue dropping Gregory and van der Merwe in the 41st over, Morgan and Tim Murtagh the culprits, and they proved expensive errors as the pair put on 71 – and though both fell in the closing overs, Josh Davey and Overton completed the job.
