Stirling and Morgan ease Middlesex to victory

Middlesex 239 for 4 (Stirling 112, Morgan 103*) beat Kent 238 for 7 (Dickson 99, Stevens 61) by six wicketsScorecard

Paul Stirling and Eoin Morgan both scored attractive hundreds as Middlesex eased to a comfortable six-wicket victory against Kent in the Royal London One-day Cup at Lord’s.

Stirling hit 112 and Morgan 103 not out as Middlesex chased down Kent’s 50-over total of 238 for 7 with 5.1 overs to spare, but also central to the home side’s success was the brilliant bowling of new-ball pair Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh.

Finn, a fearsome prospect particularly in an intimidating opening spell, finished with 2 for 31 from his ten overs while Murtagh even bowled a maiden, his third, in the 46th over of Kent’s innings on his way to figures of 2 for 28.

Irishmen Stirling and Morgan put on 214 in 39 overs for the third wicket after Ryan Higgins edged Matt Coles’s first ball to first slip in the second over and Middlesex were reduced to 16 for 2 when Nick Gubbins was caught behind off Mitch Claydon in the fifth over.

When Stirling eventually fell, chipping Joe Denly’s leg spin to short extra cover, only nine more runs were needed for victory. Morgan saw Middlesex home at 239 for 4, despite the further loss of George Bailey to Coles. Both Stirling and Morgan struck a six and 13 fours.

Both teams came into this South Group tie with two wins from four matches but, for such an important game in the eight-fixture group stage, both also had to do without two players chosen in the England Lions …

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