Results will go in our favour says Helm

Middlesex youngster Tom Helm hopes their luck will change sooner rather than later in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

After seeing rain ruin their chance of victory against Sussex when well-placed, Middlesex lost to Gloucestershire by five wickets at Lord’s.

And their next match is against Hampshire on Wednesday, with only the top three in each nine-strong group progressing to the knockout stages of the competition.

Helm, who bowled well without much luck in a long opening spell, said: “The games come thick and fast in this competition and our fortunes can change pretty quickly.

“We have done a lot right in the two games, we’ve been a bit unlucky with the weather, and you have to take your hat off to the opposition today. But we know if we keep doing things right results will go in our favour.”

Having made 256-9 from their 50 overs, thanks largely to Adam Voges (81) and Toby Roland-Jones (65), Middlesex reduced their rivals to 65-5.

But Ian Cockbain (108 not out) and Benny Howell (86 not out) put on an unbroken 192 runs for the sixth wicket to see them to their target.

And Cockbain admitted victory seemed a distant prospect when they came together, saying: “It did seem a long way away. We just tried to take it as deep as we could and hope to be in touching distance when the last 10 overs came.

“If me or Benny got out then the game was almost done and dusted which was a big factor in the way I batted. Benny struck it beautifully from ball one which took some of the pressure off me.”

“We need to get wins under our belt and hope to take this momentum into our next match against Essex.”