Season’s best score helps secure Middlesex League Premier Division win

North Middlesex made it four wins out of five in the Middlesex League Premier Division with victory at Richmond on Saturday.

Skipper Tom Nicoll won the toss and elected to field and his decision was rewarded, with Joel Hughes taking the early wicket of Ben Compton for no score.

The hosts found themselves in trouble at 20-3, but Adam London restored some stability, falling three runs short of his half-century.

London’s departure at 94-4 was the catalyst for a middle-order collapse, which saw Richmond lose four wickets for 22 runs, leaving them 116-7.

But Bhavesh Pankhania hit a determined 43 not out to set North Middlesex a target of 190 to win.

Openers Will Vanderspar and Joe Cracknell fell early, facing just 18 balls between them as the visitors slumped to 6-2.

But a terrific stand of 110 between James Parslow and Evan Flowers pushed North Middlesex towards their second away win this season.

Former player of the year Flowers scored his highest total this season with an unbeaten 77 from 122 balls, hitting one of only two sixes in the match.

North Middlesex lost seven wickets in their pursuit of Richmond’s total, as London finished with figures of 3-41 to complete a good all-round display in defeat.

Nicoll’s men now sit third in the table, two points behind Ealing who they play at home in their next fixture.