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Middlesex skipper Stephen Eskinazi led from the front. Eskinazi carried the run chase on his back for the most part. In the last over, Middlesex needed 12 runs from six balls. Sussex bowler Tymal Mills had the ball in the hand and it turned out to be a last-ball thriller kept alive by Eskinazi at the iconic Lord’s, London.
Mills started off with the wicket of Luke Hollman who could not pick the back of the hand delivery and got bowled. New batter Martin Andersson also struggled against the slower delivery pitched outside off. Andersson failed to get bat on the next delivery but rushed to take a single via byes.
With 13 runs needed off the last three balls, Eskinazi got on the strike. He picked the slower ball well and hit it over backward point for a boundary. Next ball, he went across and hit the ball towards deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs. Middlesex needed five off the last ball, Eskinazi tried to target the same area again but misjudged the length. Middlesex lost the game by four runs as Eskinazi carried his bat.
Eskinazi was on his knees, distraught after he failed to finish off the run chase. But Sussex players acknowledged Eskinazi’s efforts throughout the innings and walked up to him for his 94-run knock. He played a total of 62 deliveries and scored at a strike rate of 151.61. His knock was studded with 10 fours and one six.
Apart from him, Pieter Malan (36), Max Holden (17) and Jack Davies (19) made valuable contributions. For Sussex, skipper Ravi Bopara was the pick of the bowlers with 26 runs from four overs and wicket of Malan.
Earlier, Bopara won the toss and opted to bat first. Despite early wickets, Tom Clark (39) and Bopara (39) kept the scoreboard moving. Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan top-scored for Sussex with 30-ball 59 including four fours and five sixes. James Coles too contributed with a cameo of 13-ball 21 as Sussex posted 181/8.
This was Middlesex’s eighth defeat in a row. They are at the bottom of South Group points table.
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