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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended their Chennai jinx in style, beating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) there got the first time since the first IPL – by a whopping 50 runs, CSK’s biggest defeat at home. The contest was so dead that more than half of CSK’s chase was all about finding out if and when MS Dhoni would bat. He eventually did so at No. 9, only for the second time in his career.The build-up was all about how RCB would tackle 12 overs of spin, but the conditions rolled out inverted the spotlight: how would CSK handle eight overs of traditional seam and swing from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood? Not very well, as their combined figures of 7-0-41-4 demonstrated.And that after RCB’s batters dominated the CSK attack on what was not a straightforward pitch. Like Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar, Khaleel Ahmed drew seam movement and extra bounce, but CSK didn’t have any more such bowlers. Rajat Patidar led RCB’s innings, full of intent, capitalising on a dropped catch when he was on 17, and finishing with 51 off 32 balls. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were allowed to bowl only five overs, which were taken for 59 runs.

Salt, Padikkal knock CSK around

Khaleel drew some seam movement and uneven bounce in the first over, but CSK hadn’t planned for such conditions. They don’t have quick bowlers who can hit the good length and just short. They were going to open with Ashwin, and they did. Only for the first ball to not come out right and for Phil Salt to pull him for a six. The over went for 16, forcing the early introduction of Noor.On his way to the Purple Cap, Noor and Dhoni recreated a lightning stumping to get rid of Salt for 32 off 16 balls, but Devdutt Padikkal denied them any relief. The left-hand batter took down Jadeja in ways Jadeja is not accustomed to: a sweep and a charge down the wicket to consign him to a 15-run first over.1:34

Pujara: Kohli was trying too hard

Patidar ruins CSK’s plans

When Ashwin got Padikkal out for 27 off 14 deliveries, CSK would have hoped to re-establish control. But the presence of Patidar meant they were not able to bowl spin at Virat Kohli, who struggled to achieve even a run a ball. Patidar took a six off Noor the moment he overpitched. Kohli, playing Matheesha Pathirana for the first time, took 16 runs off his second over, and RCB were 109 for 2 in 11 overs.Like Ashwin earlier, Jadeja nearly had his own back when he drew a mis-hit from the enterprising Patidar, but Deepak Hooda dropped a sitter at long-off. In the next two overs, Patidar offered three half-chances, but none of them was taken. Kohli’s offering was taken, though, and the pressure on Liam Livingstone, and eventually his wicket, reduced RCB to 145 for 4 in the 16th over.

RCB end strongly

RCB kept the intent up, though, and Jitesh Sharma hit the second ball he played for the shot of the match, an inside-out drive off a Noor wrong’un over extra cover for six. Patidar played a delectable pick-up shot off a Pathirana slower ball in the next over. This 27-run stand in 13 balls gave RCB the impetus they needed before the death overs.In the death overs, though, both fell, even resulting in just one run off the 19th over, bowled by Pathirana. However, Tim David took them 20 past what CSK believed to be par with three sixes in the last over, bowled by Sam Curran, who has now bowled four overs for 47 runs in two matches.MS Dhoni got some hits in, but couldn’t avoid a record home defeat•BCCI

Fast-bowling clinic

It was a brief window, but Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar displayed what a threat they can be if there is anything available in the pitch. Not one ball in the powerplay was pitched outside the 6-10m zone. Bhuvneshwar kept testing the 6-8m length, and Hazlewood kept at bashing 8-10m. Bhuvneshwar looked for swing, and Hazlewood for uneven bounce and seam.Hazlewood got Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad in his first over with steep bounce, and Bhvuneshwar took his 73rd powerplay wicket when he nicked off Hooda.A long meanderOnce three wickets were gone in the powerplay, the rest of the chase was just a meander towards an inevitable end. The spinners didn’t give much to Rachin Ravindra and Shivam Dube to hit. The asking rate got high, and they were obliged to hit, realising the pitch was not as easy as RCB made it look.Dhoni kept teasing his fans by batting after Jadeja and Ashwin. Yet there were 4.4 overs left when he walked out to bat at No. 9. Only in the last two overs did he get some hits in, but couldn’t avoid a record home defeat.

The PCB has banned South African allrounder Corbin Bosch from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for one year as a penalty for withdrawing from this year’s competition despite being picked at the draft.Bosch, who was a diamond pick for Peshawar Zalmi at the PSL draft, was later signed as an injury replacement by Mumbai Indians (MI) at the ongoing IPL.As the PSL clashes with the IPL this year, Bosch withdrew from the PSL, prompting the PCB to serve him a legal notice while alleging breach of contract. A statement posted on the PCB’s website stated that Bosch had “expressed his regrets” for withdrawing from the PSL, and that he would be barred from participating in the 11th edition of the competition in 2026.Related

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“I deeply regret my decision to withdraw from the PSL, and offer my sincere apologies to the people of Pakistan, the fans of Peshawar Zalmi, and the wider cricket community,” Bosch, who is yet to play for MI in IPL 2025, said in a statement released by the PCB. “I fully understand the disappointment caused by my actions.”To the loyal fans of Peshawar Zalmi, I am truly sorry for letting you down. I take full responsibility for my actions, and accept the consequences, including the penalty fine and the one-year ban from the PSL. This has been a hard lesson, but I am committed to learning from this experience, and hope to return to the PSL in the future with renewed dedication and the trust of the fans.”The PCB was keen to set a precedent with Bosch’s case to deter players from switching to the IPL after signing up for the PSL should the two leagues continue to clash in the future, as is expected. One of the reasons the PSL moved into the IPL window was to achieve greater certainty on player availability; the PSL draft took place after the IPL auction for this year to ensure it was only drafting in players left unpicked by the IPL.As a result, the PSL draft attracted a large number of high-profile players, including David Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Jason Holder, Rassie van der Dussen and Kane Williamson, who all went unsold at the IPL auction.The tenth edition of the PSL starts on April 11, when defending champions Islamabad United take on Lahore Qalandars in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has issued orders to review the decision to reduce match fees of players and reserves selected to play in the National T20 Cup.It is understood that the fees are expected to go back up to the previous edition’s sum of PKR 40,000 per match, and PKR 20,000 per match for reserves. Originally, the fees had been slashed 75%, to PKR 10,000 (USD 35 approx), and PKR 5000 for reserves. Even the figure of PKR 40,000 is a fall compared to 2022, when players had been paid PKR 60,000 per match.Related

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The decision to reduce match fees of players, as decided by the PCB’s domestic department, led to a hue and cry in cricket circles, leaving fans and critics wondering whether the board was facing a financial crunch. PCB sources, however, claim that the expense cuts have been executed because of an increase in domestic tournaments this season, leading to greater earning opportunities for players.The National T20 Cup starts on March 14, with 39 matches across three cities: Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan. The final will take place in Faisalabad on March 27. Several leading Pakistan international cricketers will be unable to feature, with the national side having left for New Zealand for five T20Is and three ODIs.

India fast bowler Shikha Pandey is set to represent Canterbury Magicians in the ongoing Women’s Super Smash 2024-25 in New Zealand, the club announced on Thursday. She will be the first player from India to play in the Super Smash.The six-team T20 tournament kickstarted on Thursday and will run till February 2. Magicians will be play against Otago Sparks in their opening game in Alexandra on Friday, with Laura Hughes leading the team.Pandey is fresh off her maiden stint at the WBBL, where she picked up 12 wickets in 12 matches for Brisbane Heat at an economy rate of under seven. A key bowling option with the new ball, Pandey was central to Heat finishing the competition as the runners-up. She also finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker for the side.Earlier, this year she also played for Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).Pandey last represented India at the T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa where she played only three games and took three wickets. She has been overlooked in the format since then with the Indian team management preferring younger crop of fast bowlers. Overall, she has 43 wickets in 62 T20Is at an economy rate of 6.49 and in ODIs, she has played 55 matches and scalped 75 wickets.Apart from Pandey, Australia’s Madeline Penna is the other overseas players in the Magicians’ squad this season.

Ben Stokes has revealed he did not enter the IPL mega auction to strip back his playing commitments as he attempts to prolong the twilight of his career.Stokes was a notable omission from the list of 52 Englishmen signed up for the mega auction in Jeddah for the 2025 competition. It means England’s Test captain would not be allowed to play in the IPL until 2026, by which time he would be 35. Under the new regulations introduced by franchise owners – and ratified by the BCCI – players who have previously appeared in the league but did not register for the mega auction would be unable to register for the subsequent mini-auction.History suggests the allrounder would have fetched a hefty deal. Stokes has previously earned lucrative million-pound deals with Rising Pune Supergiant, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).Related

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“[There is] just so much cricket,” Stokes told in Christchurch ahead of England’s first Test against New Zealand. “There’s no hiding behind the fact that I’m at the back-end of my career. I obviously want to play as long as I possibly can. Looking after my body and looking after myself as much as I can is key to that.”England’s Test side face a legacy-defining 2025 with a five-match Test series at home to India before the Ashes at the end of the year. And with Brendon McCullum assuming control of the limited-overs teams, Stokes could well return to the ODI set-up for the Champions Trophy in February. All of this on top of a stint with MI Cape Town in the SA20 at the start of the year.Having spent most of the last 12 months rehabbing his left knee after surgery and recovering from a torn right hamstring, Stokes, centrally contracted to the ECB until October 2026, admitted it was time to start listening to his body for the good of what remains of his international career.”[It is about] prioritising games and when I do play – obviously I’m in South Africa this year – so it’s about looking at what I’ve got ahead and making the decision that I think is right for me to be able to prolong my career as long as possible. I want to wear this England shirt for as long as I can.”Stokes had opted out of the 2024 edition of the IPL to manage his workloads after a gruelling Test series in India. Under the new regulations, if he had put his name in the 2025 auction and then pulled out of the tournament (after being bought by a team), that would also earn him a two-year ban, unless he could provide an injury sheet from the ECB which proved he had withdrawn for legitimate medical reasons rather than simply wanting a rest.By not entering the auction altogether, Stokes has also helped the ECB, who found themselves in an awkward situation last week when they had to budge late to allow Jofra Archer to enter the auction despite initially blocking the move. Archer, whose central contract runs until October 2025, was bought by RR for £1.2m (US$1.49 million approx.).

Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner, is to return home from England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean before he has had a chance to make his international debut, with the team management choosing instead to manage his workload ahead of the forthcoming Lions tour of South Africa.Chohan, 22, made history last month when he became the first graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to be named in an England squad. Launched in 2021 by Dr Tom Brown, the academy aimed to remedy the under-representation of British South Asian players in the professional game, with Chohan’s opportunity with Yorkshire arising after he had been released by Middlesex as a 17-year-old in 2019.Chohan will not, however, be making the step-up to England international status just yet. Instead, he will fly home on Monday, with the rest of the squad relocating from Barbados to St Lucia, having last night taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series, following a comfortable seven-wicket win.In addition to the Lions tour, which takes place from November 20 to December 14 and will be Andrew Flintoff’s first outing as head coach, Chohan is also due to play for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, with that tournament commencing on December 15.Related

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His release from England’s white-ball squad is a reflection of the T20I team’s current success, as well as the wealth of spin options already available to Jos Buttler and Marcus Trescothick, the interim head coach.In addition to Adil Rashid, Chohan’s mentor at Yorkshire, with whom he has been working in the nets for the past fortnight, England also have Rehan Ahmed waiting in the wings as a back-up legspinner, plus Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley and Will Jacks in the current starting XI.Nevertheless, his fast-tracking into the England set-up remains a notable achievement, given the distance he has come since 2022, when he was playing National Counties cricket for Berkshire.”SACA helped me a hell of a lot,” he told ESPNcricinfo in the wake of his call-up. “I felt like my game was in a pretty good place, but there’s no real way in, once I got out of the system. It was really tough to think, ‘Okay, I want to become a pro cricketer, how can I actually do it?’ And SACA provided that opportunity for me.”

New Zealand have played down all the talk around the Pune pitch – a slow, dry, black-soil surface is in the works – but if conditions turn out to be extreme and the ball turns square from the first day, it could favour the visitors’ spinners too. This is the assessment of their captain Tom Latham on the eve of the second Test against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.”I guess whatever we’re presented with, it’s about, for us, trying to adapt as quick as we can; that’s something that we can’t control with the wicket,” Latham said. “So it’s about trying to go out there and adapt as quick as we can, and if it’s going to be a wicket that turns a little bit more, then we’ve obviously got four spinners in our line-up, so fingers crossed that will play into their hands, but yeah, as I said, it’s about trying to adapt on the run, and try not to go into the game with too many preconceived ideas.”Allrounder Rachin Ravindra, who is among New Zealand’s spin options, agreed with his captain. When Pune had served up a sharp turner in 2017, it had backfired on India, with left-arm fingerspinner Steve O’Keefe spinning Australia to victory inside three days. O’Keefe took 12 wickets, which was as many as R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja combined.Related

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“If it’s an extreme wicket, it almost brings us into the game more,” Ravindra said. “If you win the toss, all of a sudden you take a couple of wickets and you’re right into the game on a wicket that’s pretty spicy and turns a lot. As a team, it’s about accepting what’s in front of us. We can’t change that. We can’t control what wicket they’re going to roll out.”But we can control our attitude, how we approach it, and each and every position we get into with the bat or consistency with the ball. We’re excited for the challenge, whatever it may be.”New Zealand had picked three spinners for the first Test in Bengaluru, but didn’t need any of them with the ball in the first innings in seaming conditions. Their workload, however, could be much heavier across both innings in Pune. New Zealand are also open to selecting an extra spinner in place of a seamer if the conditions dictate the need for it. Offspin-bowling allrounder Michael Bracewell has returned home for the birth of his second child, but they have other options in Mitchell Santner (left-arm fingerspinner) and Ish Sodhi (wristspinner).Rohit Sharma and Tom Latham chat after Bengaluru Test•BCCI

“Yeah, I obviously had a little bit of a think around what that [the playing XI] may look like, but we’ll make those final decisions after I speak to you guys, Latham said. “So yeah, as I said, it’s just about trying to make sure we adapt as best we can, and try to get a little bit of information from previous games here, and also the practice wickets that we’re on will hopefully be something around, or similar to what we’re getting, so I think that’s the beauty of our team, is trying not to go into the game with too many preconceived ideas, and trying to make sure we adapt as best we can.”Latham also looked back fondly on the success in Bengaluru – he became only the third New Zealander to captain the side to a Test win in India – but he quickly shifted the focus to Pune, where New Zealand hope to go one better and seal the series.”Yeah, obviously very special, I guess to be… there’s myself, Graham Dowling and John Wright, to be in this position is really special, Latham said. “But for me it was a team effort, it wasn’t just me that obviously contributed to the win, you know, the guys did a fantastic job, and obviously that was last week, we obviously celebrated what was a special performance.”But our attention turned quickly to this game, and we’re trying not to, I guess, rest on what happened last week, as trying to take the confidence from last week, and take that into this game, and hopefully hit the ground running.”

Mitchell Starc made a dramatic entrance to the ODI series with a searing inswinging yorker to England captain Harry Brook, after Alex Carey had produced a match-changing innings as Australia, strengthened by the return of key names, went 2-0 up in the series with a convincing 68-run victory at Headingley.Starc’s brilliant set-up of Brook, which he capped off with a wicked delivery that thundered into his pad as he was beaten for pace, added to England’s early problems in a chase of 271 after Carey’s 74 provided crucial late runs to a curious Australia innings. A short while later the home side were 65 for 5 when Aaron Hardie claimed two wickets in two balls, including a brilliant caught-and-bowled to remove the in-form Ben Duckett, to leave them with a mountain to climb.Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell stopped the bleeding with a stand of 55 before Bethell somehow managed to skew a short, wide long hop from Glenn Maxwell to backward point. The game was just about done when Smith clipped Josh Hazlewood to midwicket for a very neat 49 although England’s lower order showed there were few demons in the surface.Australia had been bowled out with more than five overs remaining, having been nine-down in the 37th over before a last-wicket stand of 49 between Carey, only playing due to Josh Inglis’ quad injury, and Hazlewood. But with the visitors having welcomed back Hazlewood and Starc from illness, it still felt as though it would be a considerable test of an England side still trying to reestablish their one-day credentials. The Test duo would finish with five between them.Hazlewood landed the ball on a handkerchief to give Phil Salt a working over – a tough chance was put down at second slip by Matt Short – and it was little surprise when Salt slashed an edge to Carey. In the next over Will Jacks drove expansively outside off stump against Starc and this time Short held on safely in the cordon.Starc, playing his first game since the T20 World Cup in June, then produced a classy over against Brook, barring a delivery on the pads that was clipped for four, probing away across the right-hander before going fuller, straighter and with sharp inswing to have Brook trapped in front of leg stump.Alex Carey pulls during his fighting half-century•AFP/Getty Images

Duckett had again played well, scooping Hazlewood over the keeper and sending a bottom-handed whip over the leg side for six, but toe-ended a slower ball to the left of Hardie who took a spectacular catch low to his left. Next ball Liam Livingstone glanced a leg-side delivery to Carey who took an excellent grab to his left and England’s frontline batting was nearly done.In the first half of the game, Australia were not as dominant with the bat as they had been at Trent Bridge. Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne took them to 145 for 3 when Bethell and Adil Rashid, who claimed his 200th ODI wicket, took three quick wickets with another mini-collapse following a stand of 55 between Carey and Hardie.But Carey, who had been welcomed to the crease by a crowd needlessly reminding him of events last year, played smartly as he took singles late in an over to protect Hazlewood – who contributed just four to the stand – while exploiting boundary opportunities including handsome off-side sixes against Potts and Olly Stone.There had been movement for England’s new-ball attack, particularly Stone who was impressive after being recalled for the rested Jofra Archer, but Travis Head was just starting to move through his gears when he picked out deep backward square with a whip-pull off his hip. In his second spell, Potts nipped the ball both ways: movement away found Short’s edge then a peach of a delivery zipped back to take Smith’s off stump.Marsh and Labuschagne went about their task carefully and the run-rate slowed. They had to combat some sharp spin from Rashid, but Marsh flicked a switch with two sixes in three balls off the struggling Carse, the first a huge pull deep into the Western Terrace to take him to a 47-ball fifty and the second coming from a free hit after Carse overstepped.Adil Rashid claimed his 200th ODI wicket when he removed Glenn Maxwell•Getty Images

Then, much as it did for Australia two days ago, spin made an impact. Labuschagne spliced a pull against Bethell to mid-on and Marsh missed a sweep to give the left-armer his second. Maxwell pummeled his first ball from Bethell for six but picked out deep midwicket while attempting a repeat to hand Rashid his 200th ODI wicket.Carey and Hardie played positively as they took advantage of Brook’s decision to squeeze out some extra overs of spin, with Livingstone and Jacks going for 34 in three between them. A curious innings involved another twist when Carse’s day took a turn for the better. Recalled to the attack, he removed Hardie first ball with a pull spliced to midwicket and next delivery had Starc flicking into the leg side.When Adam Zampa carved Rashid to point it appeared the innings was on the brink of a very early finish but the final-wicket stand, coupled with Australia’s start with the ball, put a very different complexion on the game.

Yorkshire preserved their hopes of Metro Bank One Day Cup qualification by ending Warwickshire’s unbeaten record with a six-wicket win at Rugby School.The win was set up by George Hill’s 6 for 28, the seventh-best List A figures for Yorkshire, which restricted the home side to 242 for 9. Only Rob Yates (72) ventured beyond the cameo stage as Warwickshire came in around 40 under par.Yorkshire then reached 246 for 4 with 33 balls remaining after Harry Duke launched their reply with a vibrant 60 off 51 balls and the chase was seen to a comfortable conclusion by William Luxton – who hit his first senior hundred – and Matthew Revis (51 not out). It was a highly impressive chase in light of the loss of their two leading run-scorers in this year’s tournament: captain Shan Masood (international duty) and James Wharton (ankle injury).Yorkshire’s campaign remains alive ahead of their final group game at Glamorgan next Wednesday while Warwickshire’s defeat was a missed opportunity but they remain strongly-placed in the Group B table ahead of their last match, against Nottinghamshire at Rugby.Yorkshire chose to bowl and imposed early pressure, particularly through Ben Coad and Hill, the latter striking early blows in a spell of 6-1-17-3. Ed Barnard’s middle stump was rattled by a lovely ball before Will Rhodes pulled to midwicket.Hamza Shaikh lifted Hill for an audacious six over midwicket but the bowler’s revenge arrived two balls later with an lbw decision. Burgess became the fourth batter to fall between 10 and 15 when he swept Dom Bess to deep midwicket.Sustained support at last arrived for Yates from Chris Benjamin (38) in a stand of 56 in 11 overs before both perished slogging. Yates, having passed 50 for the tenth time in 30 List A innings, sought six off Revis but found only deep midwicket. Benjamin’s swipe at Hill found only thin air.Hill hit the stumps for a third and fourth time when he castled Jake Lintott and Kai Smith and though the tail nurdled 30, the total still appeared inadequate.Yorkshire’s reply was robustly launched by Duke after debutant Yash Vagadia flicked Olly Hannon-Dalby to short midwicket in the fourth over. The 22-year-old has struggled for fluency of late but raced to a 44-ball half-century, including nine fours.Warwickshire hit back with three wickets in six overs. Duke top-edged a sweep at Lintott, Finlay Bean pulled Tazeem Ali’s second ball to deep midwicket and Jonathan Tattersall edged Lintott to slip.Luxton and Matt Revis steadied the innings and then advanced it to victory in composed fashion in an unbroken partnership of 129 in 25 overs, Luxton posting his maiden List A ton with a six off Yates on the threshold of victory.

Middlesex claimed a six-wicket victory over Glamorgan in their Vitality Blast match in a rain shortened contest in Cardiff.Luke Hollman’s four wickets and runs from Leus du Plooy and Martin Andersson in a game that was reduced to 10 overs a side were enough for Middlesex to secure the win.Glamorgan lost regular wickets as they managed 88 for 9 from their 10 overs and Middlesex chased that down with three balls to spare to finish on 89 for 4.Glamorgan will likely need to win all of their remaining fixtures and also hope for favourable results elsewhere if they are to progress in this competition. For Middlesex it may already be too late despite this win given that they can finish on a maximum of 13 points.Glamorgan made 27 runs inside the opening three overs of powerplay with the openers Will Smale and Kiran Carlson scoring 17 of those. Smale sliced a catch to third off the bowling of Tom Cullen and Carlson became the first of Hollman’s four wickets when he was caught at long off by Tom Helm.The Glamorgan batters kept going after Hollman but they all found it very hard to time the ball. When Hollman claimed the wickets of the experienced Chris Cooke and Marnus Labuschagne within the space of four balls Glamorgan had stumbled to 51 for 6.That became 52 for 7 when Ben Kellaway skied a ball off Helm and Noah Cornwall took a juggling catch at mid-off. Timm van der Gugten struck some lusty blows to take Glamorgan slightly further towards a target they could defend.As has often been the case for Glamorgan this season, Mason Crane made late-order runs as he made the highest score of the home side’s innings batting at 10. His 18 not out meant that his stand with Jamie McIlroy for the 10th wicket was the highest of the Glamorgan innings.The opening stand of 55 for Middlesex was far higher than any that Glamorgan had managed in their 10 overs and inside the powerplay du Plooy and Andersson went a long way to breaking the back of the chase.Du Plooy gave a stiff chance off the bowling of Crane when he was on 23 but Smale could not hold on to the catch at point. Crane did eventually claim du Plooy’s wicket when he trapped him lbw for 28.Jack Davies and Andersson fell to consecutive balls to leave Middlesex with two batters who had yet to face a ball in the middle. Andersson was brilliantly caught by Carlson in the covers off Labuschagne for 30.Those wickets gave Glamorgan some hope of squeezing out a win but a big six by Hollman of Labuschagne all but secured the win for Middlesex who needed just four runs from the last over. Things were still tense thanks to McIlroy getting Higgins but a four from Joe Cracknell off the first ball he faced gave Middlesex the win.