Mills and boom as Panthers crush Essex

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Essex 74 (16.5 ov) lost to Middlesex 77-2 (9.5 ov) by 8 wickets
(Essex 0 pts, Middlesex 2 pts)

Kyle Mills led a superb bowling performance as Middlesex Panthers enjoyed a crushing victory at Chelmsford to move top of the t20 South group.

The New Zealander took two wickets in the first over, eventually finishing with figures of 3-4 in three overs, and Essex never recovered.

Isleworth-born Gurjit Sandhu, on his t20 debut, took two wickets in as many balls as the Eagles were skittled for just 74, their lowest-ever total in the competition.

Panthers brushed off the loss of openers Paul Stirling and Dawid Malan to reach the target inside 10 overs, with Joe Denly (34 not out) and Adam Voges (22 not out) taking them over the line.

Mills’s opening burst stunned Essex as he dismissed Greg Smith and the dangerous Graham Napier both for ducks inside the first four balls and then got compatriot Hamish Rutherford in the next over.

By the time t20 novice Sandhu had captured Jaik Mickleburgh and Ryan ten Doeschate in successive balls, the Eagles were 12-5 – and threatening to repeat the collapse in last month’s County Championship match against Lancashire which saw them all out for just 20.

Owais Shah’s 39 from 43 balls held up the Panthers’ charge but only Tim Phillips also made it into double figures, as all of Middlesex’s six-man attack came away with at least one wicket.

Paul Stirling fell to Shaun Tait early in the Panthers’ reply and the Australian quick also bowled Dawid Malan for 10 to give Essex a semblance of hope at 26-2.

But Denly and Voges always looked comfortable and Middlesex reached their target with the penultimate ball of the 10th over.

It takes Panthers top of the South table, level on points with Surrey who have a game in hand.

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