Panthers beaten in final over by Essex

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Middlesex 153-5 (20 ov) lost to Essex 157-8 (19.4 ov) by 2 wickets

Middlesex Panthers lost a dramatic NatWest T20 Blast encounter at Chelmsford as Essex Eagles hit two sixes in the final over to seal victory.

Eoin Morgan’s 69 helped a youthful Panthers side to 153-5 from their 20 overs.

Hammersmith-born Harry Podmore took a wicket with his first ball in first-team cricket as Essex were restricted to 69-3 at halfway.

Ryan ten Doeschate (34) looked to be guiding Essex home but fell to Podmore late on, before tailender Tim Phillips (33) struck maximums off Gurjit Sandhu to clinch the win.

Although defeat is a setback following Middlesex’s first win of the T20 campaign against Somerset on Wednesday, they will be buoyed by the performance of 19-year-old Podmore, who took 2-20 in three economical overs.

Having lost the toss, Panthers recovered from the early loss of Joe Denly to reach 72-1 in the ninth over.

Dawid Malan (28) and Dan Christian (2) fell in successive overs but Morgan hit seven fours and two sixes in an assured innings.

Although boundaries dried up after the skipper was run out in the 16th over, Neil Dexter (pictured) added 23 from 21 balls to help Panthers to an acceptable total.

Sandhu and James Harris kept things tight in the opening overs of Essex’s reply but it was Podmore who struck first, as fellow rookie Ryan Higgins claimed a catch in the deep to remove Jesse Ryder.

Ravi Patel took the crucial wicket of Ravi Bopara, the England man edging behind for just 10, as Essex found themselves behind the run rate at halfway.

Opener Mark Pettini made 42 but was one of two victims for Dexter, while Christian and Sandhu chipped in with a wicket apiece to leave Essex 113-6 in the 17th over.

With 19 balls left, the hosts still required 39 to win but Phillips, in at number nine, launched sixes off Sandhu and Harris as he and ten Doeschate took the game away from Panthers.

Dutch international ten Doeschate fell to Podmore to leave Essex needing 13 off the last over.

But Phillips hit a six from the first ball and repeated the trick a few balls later to snatch the win.

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