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Middx win thriller
By David Slater September 15 2003
Middlesex secured a fantastic victory over Hampshire at Lord’s by 6 wickets to take the battle for the last promotion spot to the last weekend of the season. The star of the show was Paul Weekes who took 4-45 with the ball and hit 104 with the bat.
The Crusaders didn’t get off to a good start though with 144 runs being scored before they took their first wicket. More soon followed, with Weekesy taking 2 in 2 balls. Whilst in the meantime Katich hit 106. As the Hawks innings ended, they were 277/7.

The Middlesex reply got of to a solid start but things slowed down around the 30 over mark. After Weekes was out, having been assisted by Strauss (34) and Keegan (46), Joyce and Shah came together and accelerated. Two 4s of the bowling of Vaas from Joyce, meant that Middlesex needed 14 off the last 2 overs.


14 off 2 overs then became 9 off one. “Myself and Owais were just thinking we needed 9 runs luckily he hit the first ball for 6. After that it was about getting the singles and getting bat on ball” said Joyce.

Mascarenhas was given the job of bowling the last over and didn’t get off to a good start; Shah hitting the shot of the day, a huge 6 over the head of a fielder stuck on the boundary, into the Warner Stand. Just as things were looking simple, he was caught by Udal next ball. Dalrymple was next in and took a single off the first ball; Joyce did the same to tie the match. With 2 balls left, and score would win the game.

Crawley brought all of their fielders inside the circle. Dalrymple got the ball away and sneaked the single to win the game. “I was most worried about the sun to be honest and trying to see the ball” said Dalrymple after the game. “The situation was 3 from 4 balls so in that situation your role is so clear that it takes up most of your thinking” he added.

“That was probably the most nerve-wreaking moment of the season so far. I’m sure its more nerve wrecking to watch then to play because you can do something about it playing” Joyce also commented. “If we win next week we have a good chance of going up as these guys (Hampshire) have a tough game at Derbyshire and Derbyshire aren’t a bad one day side and they still have a bit to play for so its 50/50” he added on the teams promotion chances.

The situation is now simple. A win for Middlesex and a defeat for Hampshire next weekend will see the Crusaders into division 1. Anything less and it will be Hampshire who go up


Hampshire innings (45 overs maximum)
+Pothas c Gannon b Dalrymple 78
Katich b Weekes 106
Kenway c Shah b Weekes 22
Mascarenhas not out 27
*Crawley b Weekes 0
Kendall run out 26
Prittipaul c Strauss b Weekes 2
Udal c Hutton b Keegan 4
Vaas not out 4
Extras 8
Total (7 wickets, 45 overs) 277

DNB: Tremlett, Mullally.


Middlesex innings (target: 278 runs from 45 overs)
Weekes c Mascarenhas b Prittipaul 104
*Strauss c Kenway b Tremlett 34
Keegan b Udal 46
Shah c Udal b Mascarenhas 49
Joyce not out 27
Dalrymple not out 2
Extras 16
Total (4 wickets, 44.5 overs) 278

DNB: +Nash, Hutton, Cook, Dawes, Gannon.

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