Ground: Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
Captain: Toby Roland-Jones (CC), Stevie Eskinazi (ODC/T20)
2023 results: CC2: 9/10; ODC: 7/9 Group A; T20: 9/9 South Group
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Middlesex are reeling after a chilling summer in which they won five of 22 white-ball fixtures and went straight back down to Division Two, their fate sealed on the final afternoon. The batting suffered a collective bout of the yips the likes of which their supporters have rarely seen before: among the frontline batters, only Sam Robson averaged more than 23. Time and again Ryan Higgins – outstanding with bat and ball in his first season at Lord’s – saved his side from complete ignominy. South Africa’s Pieter Malan, he of three Test caps, went home early after 221 runs in 16 innings. Fourteen matches produced five batting points, three of them in the final game. The signing of Leus du Plooy is a major coup, though the club have lost one of their more dependable run-getters in long-serving keeper John Simpson. Simpson’s departure opens the door for understudy Jack Davies. Even without Tim Murtagh – who signed off with 30 wickets at 20 – the pace bowling looks strong, with Henry Brookes added to the fold. The great find has been spinning all-rounder Josh de Caires, the son of Mike Atherton who took 27 wickets in his first full season.
THE VIEW FROM THE COMMENTARY BOX ANDREW RADD, BBC KEVIN HAND, BBC SPORT
Middlesex should not have been relegated last season and they know it. Missed opportunities, and a dodgy stumping at Merchant Taylors School, cost them dear. Nonetheless they may have been punching above their weight in the first half of the summer and a season in Division Two to stabilize, and come to terms with the fact that Tim Murtagh won’t be running in from the Nursery End for the first time since 2007, may benefit the development of some of the younger players who were thrown in at the deep end in recent years. Leading run scorer: Leus du Plooy. Leading wicket taker: Ethan Bamber.
TWO TO LOOK OUT FOR
Leus du Plooy is an incredible capture for Middlesex and one that the county will hope will solve their batting woes. If he fires then Middlesex may have found their missing link with the bat - and he can do the job in all formats. So many opportunities have been given to Middlesex youngsters in recent years that it’s hard to think of a name that would be a complete unknown. Blake Cullen, for example, has already been fast tracked into the Hundred but injuries have prevented him from making a name for himself on a regular basis for Middlesex. If the fast bowler is fit from the off then this year could be the one that allows Cullen to grab the headlines on a wee
