Middlesex coach hoping to learn from Vettori’s T20 nous

The upswing in cricket tempo this month, from serenity of the red-ball game to the mania of the T20 Blast, will be welcomed by some Middlesex members.

It has been a difficult Championship defence for their side, who prior to the match against Warwickshire this week had won just one of their first seven four-day matches.

But head coach Richard Scott says he is looking forward to the new challenge, and in particular working alongside former New Zealand all-rounder Daniel Vettori, who will lead the backroom staff for the T20 Blast.

“I will still be involved in the T20, maybe looking at opposition sides and working with players not in our team,” Scott said.

“But it will be fascinating for me to watch the input from Daniel, and I very much look forward to tapping into his expert knowledge in this form of the game.”

Vettori (pictured) is perhaps best known for his 113 Tests for New Zealand, but he also played 295 one-day internationals and 34 T20 internationals.

Since then, he has built a reputation as one of the more cerebral coaches in T20 cricket, working with Brisbane Heat in Australia’s Big Bash and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, added: “The skills required by players in different forms of the game are wide-ranging – why should coaching be any different?

“Daniel will only strengthen what is already an outstanding coaching unit.”

There will be a strong Kiwi flavour to Middlesex’s T20 Blast challenge, with Brendon McCullum and Tim Southee the overseas signings.

The big-hitting McCullum made six appearances for the club in last year’s competition and they hope his star billing will bring full houses to Lord’s, with matches against Surrey on 13 July and Essex on 27 July the stand-out fixtures.