Stalwart Morgan to captain Middlesex in Blast campaign
UXBRIDGE moved to within a point of the Isthmian League South Central Division play-off spots with two games in hand after a thumping 5-0 success at struggling basement boys Ashford Town.
Boss Danny Edwards was brought in to improve the fortunes of a club that finished 15th in the table four seasons in a row and he is certainly doing that, with former Ashford double act Jack Beadle and Mark Bitmead both on the scoresheet at their old club.
Beadle grabbed the first two goals, the second a stunner which killed off the hosts two minutes after halftime.
“I wouldn’t say I was overly sure [about the outcome] at half-time,” said Edwards. “They [Ashford] are a lot better than their league position shows. In the second half we showed where we are and where they are.
“We have got a front three who every time they are going to play they are going to score.
“We have attacking threats. When Jack scored that goal just after halftime, with that little bit of quality, that’s killed them off.”
Beadle had run through and rapped in the first on 32 minutes.
He capitalised on poor defending to crack in the second off the underside of the bar in the 47th minute before Bitmead added a third from the spot.
Beadle hit the post with a curling shot and Callum Bunting retrieved, turned and rifled in number four.
Substitute Matthew Surmon added the fifth with his first touch.
“They had a plan in the first half and caused us problems,” added Edwards.
“It took us 25 minutes to work out what the opposition were doing but after that we were comfortable.
“We are defensively solid. We are one of the best defensive records in the league. It was a professional performance rather than a good performance.”
Can they make the play-offs? “Our target is very high,” Edwards said. “We aren’t happy where we are at the moment.
“We have dropped points in some silly games, against Staines on New Year’s Day and Northwood away.
“You couldn’t predict who is going to win it.
“There’s probably eight teams vying from five places.
“There’s others like Marlow and Chipstead who are good sides and are just around the outside of it, but could easily go on a run of five or six wins and be in the play-off positions.
“I’ve been impressed with all of them, but not enough to say anyone will go and win it.
“It’s good because everyone is taking points off each other and we just have to concentrate on our games and try and get as many points on the board as we can.
“If we can get in the play-offs it will be a fantastic achievement in our first season.”
MIDDLESEX CCC have confirmed Eoin Morgan will captain the club in this season’s Vitality Blast campaign.
Morgan, who also celebrates a Testimonial Year this year, takes the reins of a Middlesex side that showed huge signs of improvement in 2019, reaching the quarter-final stage of the competition for only the second time since the club lifted the trophy in 2008.
He played a crucial role in helping to transform Middlesex’s T20 Blast fortunes last season, hitting three half centuries in the competition – 70 off 37 balls against Surrey at Lord’s, a brilliant unbeaten 83 off just 29 balls against Somerset and a gutsy 53 off 31 balls in the quarterfinal defeat to Nottinghamshire. He finished the 2019 tournament with 341 runs at an average of almost 43 and a strike rate of just under 170.
Aside of being one of Middlesex and England’s most experienced and accomplished T20 players, Morgan
has become one of the world’s greatest modern day white-ball captains, and his experience, tactical brilliance and ice-cool head under pressure will be a huge boost to Middlesex as head coach Stuart Law looks for his side to push on in 2020.
Law said: “I’m really excited to have Morgs at the helm for our T20 campaign. He is currently the best white-ball captain around and will offer a great deal of experience on and off the field to the team.
“I can’t wait to start working with him to build a squad of players to challenge in this format.”
Morgan said: “I’m delighted to be awarded the T20 captaincy. The role is one that I have really enjoyed.
“We’ve got an exciting group of players here at Middlesex, with plenty of talent and a good blend of youth and experience, and I’m really looking forward to helping the club build on the improvements we made in this format last year.”