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Middlesex Panthers v Gloucestershire Gladiators
11/07/2010
Friends Provident t20 South Division
At Uxbridge
By Richard Latham
Will Porterfield upstaged Steven Finn to lead Gloucestershire to a six-wicket victory with four balls to spare at Uxbridge.
It was Finn's first game for the Panthers since he bowled England to victory in the second Test against Bangladesh at Old Trafford in June.
But the tall pace bowler was unable to celebrate, conceding 30 runs from his two overs as Porterfield and Aaron Redmond went on the attack before being withdrawn from the firing line.
Finn was struck for 5 fours and a six as Gloucestershire's opening pair blasted 78 in six overs in the chase to score 186 to win.
Middlesex captain Neil Dexter then stemmed the flow of runs temporarily by bowling Redmond and having Hamish Marshall caught behind in the space of seven balls.
Porterfield had hit 64 off 32 balls, with three sixes and seven fours when unluckily run out as James Franklin's drive was deflected into the stumps at the bowler's end.
But Franklin and Chris Taylor regained the initiative with a fourth wicket stand of 61 in six overs, the New Zealander finishing unbeaten on 51 to see his side home.
Franklin faced 37 balls and hit 3 fours and 2 sixes, while Taylor's 29 featured four boundaries.
Middlesex owed their total to Dawid Malan's 86 off 44 balls, including 6 sixes and 5 fours, after they had made a poor start, losing David Warner and Jackson Thompson inside the first four overs.
Warner was caught and bowled by Steve Kirby for one and Thompson, who once played for Gloucestershire, was caught at extra cover off Anthony Ireland for 14.
Owais Shah gave the innings some momentum with 27 off 19 balls, including a six and 4 fours, before he was brilliantly caught on the midwicket boundary by Gemaal Hussain off Richard Dawson.
Dexter joined Malan in a fourth wicket partnership of 85 in eight overs and had struck 38 off 30 balls, with 2 sixes and 2 fours, when he was well caught by Porterfield, leaping high in front of the sightscreen, off Kirby.
Despite that setback, Middlesex were on course for 200 until they failed to make the most of the closing overs.
Tyron Henderson was caught by Marshall running in from long-on off Ireland and three wickets went down in the last over.
Ben Scott and Tom Smith were run out and Malan was bowled making room to hit Kirby through the offside. Kirby finished with 3-29.
