McCullum inspires Middlesex win despite Coles hat-trick
Thursday 20th July 2017
A Brendan McCullum-inspired Middlesex defeated Kent Spitfires at Richmond despite a Matt Coles hat-trick.
The Kent paceman was the third man to complete the feat in T20 cricket dismissing James Franklin, John Simpson and Tim Southee in successive balls in the final over to limit the hosts to 179-8 after a quickfire 88 from the New Zealand legend.
Middlesex were invited to bat first at Old Deer Park on a slow surface but the former Black Caps captain used all his experience to play himself in before hitting nine fours and six sixes.
He needed some fortune, has a leading edge ballooned between fielders when the veteran was on 6 before Sam Northeast spilled a sharp chance at cover on 17 at the time.
The hosts’ all-star top four contributed cameos at more than a run a ball including at least one six: Dawid Malan hit 33 off 29, Paul Stirling 14 off 9 and Eoin Morgan’s 28 off 19 played second fiddle to the big bow of McCullum.
James Tredwell (1/22) and Calum Haggett (2/27) fought back in the middle overs with wickets and dotballs to stunt the onslaught.
Coles returned to great effect as Franklin and Simpson drove the ball to Blake in the deep in successive balls before the burly paceman removed Southee’s leg stump to spark celebrations.
It was Coles’ second career hat-trick after taking one against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in the One-Day Cup in 2015.
The hat-trick was Kent’s third in T20 cricket after Ryan McLaren in the 2007 Twenty20 Cup Final and Wahab Riaz repeating the feat in 2011 at Beckenham, both against Gloucestershire.
In reply, half-centuries from Sam Northeast and Jimmy Neesham boosted Kentish hopes on a slow pitch after the loss of openers of Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly for a run apiece.
The international duo of Tim Southee and Steve Finn claimed the wickets as Kent could only manage 43-3 in the powerplay overs with Sam Billings the next to go, caught on the mid-wicket boundary off Tom Helm.
Northeast passed 2,000 T20 career runs with his 14th half-century in the format, striking seven fours and bringing up his 50 with a six off Helm.
He shared a stand of 75 with New Zealand left-hander Jimmy Neesham which put the Spitfires back in the hunt before Northeast top-edged a return catch to Ryan Higgins.
After Darren Stevens departed first ball, Alex Blake struck five fours before holing out to Paul Stirling with 38 required from the final three overs.
Scoreboard pressure told as Coles was run out trying to give Neesham the strike before Neesham was caught in the deep, needing 20 runs off the final four balls before ultimately falling 16 short.
