T20 Blast: Middlesex stay top with comfortable win over Glamorgan

Toby Roland-Jones spearheaded the Middlesex attack by taking 4-22 against Glamorgan

Middlesex stayed top of the T20 Blast South Group after an impressive four-wicket win over Glamorgan at Radlett.

Joe Cracknell top-scored with 47 while Max Holden hit 41, as they passed their target of 169 with an over to spare.

England captain Eoin Morgan suffered a minor injury in the field and did not come out to bat.

Spinner Thilan Walallawitta took 3-17 and Toby Roland-Jones claimed 4-22 to restrict Glamorgan to 168, a total that always looked inadequate.

Glamorgan lost two early wickets but Marnus Labuschagne appeared to be getting going with 38 off 24 balls before leg-spinner Luke Hollman induced him to sky a catch.

Kiran Carlson made 21 and Chris Cooke 22 but Middlesex were taking regular wickets and left-armer Walallawita had them in disarray with his three victims coming in quick succession.

James Weighell's 30, including three sixes, gave them some momentum but Roland-Jones took three wickets in the last over to prevent a late flourish and keep Glamorgan to a score that seemed well below-par on a small club ground, especially with fielders finding life difficult on a rough outfield.

Holden and Steve Eskinazi laid into the bowling in the powerplay with a stand of 71 for Middlesex, before the dominant Holden was bowled by Prem Sisodiya.

Eskinazi, on 34, chipped one back to Andrew Salter and Hollman lobbed a catch to mid-wicket off Sisodiya the ball after smashing him into the crowd.

John Simpson was caught behind off Michael Hogan for 13 but Middlesex had enough momentum not to be too concerned as Joe Cracknell moved up through the gears.

He fell to Labuschagne for 47 and Martin Andersson was brilliantly caught by Hogan for 17 trying to hit the winning runs

Morgan was padded up ready to bat if required, with Middlesex describing his early exit from the game as 'precautionary', but Chris Green and Roland-Jones saw the home side to victory.

Glamorgan host Essex on Thursday, 2 June while Middlesex are away to Sussex the following evening.

Middlesex spinner Thilan Walallawita said:

"I wasn't thinking about a CB (career-best performance) today, but I know this place well and I knew if I did my basics well, I would get a couple of wickets.

"Max has always been a serious player at the top of the order and Cracknell batting at three has been exceptional for us, we know how well he strikes the ball as you've seen today.

"Our coach Richard Johnson brings a lot of energy to the team and we've known him a long time, so having a familiar face boosts our confidence and he's just told us to play with freedom."

Glamorgan spinner Prem Sisodiya told BBC Sport Wales:

"It's a tough place to come, it's a quick-scoring ground and they've done quite well here recently.

"We showed great fight but looking back we were a couple short with the bat and they got off to a bit off a flyer.

"If we'd had 10 or 15 runs more we could have taken it down to the last over, one or two more partnerships in the middle.

"It was nice to start with a win (at Sussex) and we've shown signs of what we can do but we missed out a little bit against Surrey with the ball and today with the bat. Hopefully on Thursday we can put the pieces of the puzzle together."