Century maker: ‘We had a lot of fun’
Malan’s 14th List A century kept Middlesex riding high at the top of the Royal London Cup Group A table with a thrilling one-wicket victory over Somerset at Taunton on Sunday.
The 33-year-old South African made 110, from 93 balls, with three sixes, and 11 fours as his side chased down a target of 336 with four balls to spare. Sam Robson contributed 76 and Max Holden 71.
Somerset posted 335-6 after losing the toss, Matt Renshaw top scoring with 120, including three sixes and nine fours, while teenager James Rew hit 114, off 120 balls, his maiden List A hundred.
Their efforts were not enough to prevent the hosts suffering a fifth defeat in as many group matches – even though Middlesex almost selfdestructed in the closing overs.
After the defeat, Rew said: “To score my maiden List A century in front of such a big crowd, which included a few boys from my club Taunton St Andrews, was special, and my mum was here too.
“I like to open as in the power play you only have two men out. I have batted at six in earlier games, so it was nice to have a change and go up top.
“Batting with Matt Renshaw is so good and I really enjoyed that. He helped me through and we had a lot of fun out there together.”
“It was a great wicket, with a quick outfield and we gave ourselves a total to defend. We did half the job but just couldn’t get over the line.”
Somerset’s continued demise in the Royal London Cup began last Wednesday when a sensational Ben Green century and Sonny Baker’s six-wicket haul failed to save Somerset from a third defeat as Durham gained a thrilling ninerun victory at Taunton.
The visitors posted 342 all out after losing the toss, Scott Borthwick making 88, from 67 balls, including three sixes and 11 fours, and Graham Clark a more measured 86. Nineteen-year-old seamer Baker claimed a career-best 6-46 from ten overs.
Somerset plunged to 195-8 in reply before Green launched an incredible onslaught, crashing 12 sixes and ten fours in an unforgettable inning of 157 off 84 balls.
It was only enough to boost the score to 333 all out, but provided rich entertainment for a crowd of 3,000, basking in hot sunshine.
Centurion Green said: “I’m absolutely gutted.
“If only we could have found ten more runs out there.
“I have never struck the ball better and that’s why I went for another six in the final over. I didn’t quite connect right and the bottom line is that we have lost the game.
“So many thought processes went through my head in the last five overs. I am one to say ‘never say never,’ so I didn’t give up on winning even when we were eight wickets down.
“I am proud of how I played, but so disappointed not to get the result we wanted.”
Somerset’s fourth defeat came on Friday when a maiden List A century from batting prospect Louis Kimber and a disciplined bowling performance saw Leicestershire home.
Kimber, who last month scored his maiden first-class century, hit four sixes in going to three figures off just 87 deliveries after the Foxes had struggled to 18-3 at the end of the first powerplay.
The 25-year-old received good support from Harry Swindells (70) as Leicestershire recovered to post a competitive total on a pitch of variable pace.
South Africa internationals Beuran Hendricks and Wiaan Mulder then picked up three wickets apiece as Somerset’s chase subsided in the face of testingly accurate seam bowling.
Somerset were back in action last night when they travelled to Surrey. They host Sussex Sharks tomorrow before going to Warwickshire on Tuesday.