Panthers T20 campaign ends in whimper

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Somerset 183-3 (20 ov) beat Middlesex 161-7 (20 ov) by 22 runs
(Somerset 2 pts, Middlesex 0 pts)

Middlesex Panthers disappointing T20 campaign ended with another defeat as they were unable to overhaul Somerset at Taunton.

Ravi Patel starred with the ball for the visitors, taking 3-36, but Nick Compton (58) and Marcus Trescothick (46) put on 105 for the first wicket and Somerset never looked back.

They finished on an imposing 183-3 and veteran Australian Dirk Nannes then removed Eoin Morgan and Ryan Higgins in successive balls to reduce Panthers to 60-4 in the ninth over.

Some belligerent hitting from John Simpson (47 not out) and Neil Dexter (33) came too late as Middlesex fell well short.

The defeat is Panthers’ 11th in 14 Natwest T20 Blast matches, a record that unsurprisingly sees them finish bottom of the South group by some margin.

A campaign that started with back-to-back defeats to Essex and Sussex in the first-ever T20 double header at Lord’s finished with another below-par showing.

Compton and Trescothick took an early liking to the Panthers’ attack, Somerset reaching 54-0 after six overs.

It took the visitors until the 13th over to break the partnership, as Patel got both in the space of a few balls. Compton sent a top edge to third man while Trescothick was stumped off a wide.

Peter Trego and Colin Ingram added a further 45 in four overs while James Hildreth hit two sixes in the penultimate over to set Middlesex a tough target.

They made a decent start, Dawid Malan (34) and Morgan (18) leading Panthers to 50-1 after six overs before the former became the first of Nannes’ victims.

The 38-year-old then saw off Morgan and Higgins – both edging behind to Trescothick – as Middlesex reached the halfway mark on 70-4.

Simpson and Dexter attempted a rescue mission, putting on 57 in six overs, but the gap was just too great to overhaul.

Middlesex will hope for better fortunes when the 50-over Royal London Cup begins on Sunday.

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