T20 Blast: Higgins leads Middlesex to final day win over Glamorgan

Glamorgan's Tom Bevan walks off after being dismissed by Ryan Higgins of Middlesex

Middlesex ended their T20 Blast campaign with back-to-back wins after a 49-run victory over Glamorgan.

Ryan Higgins starred with bat and ball in Cardiff, top scoring with 71 not out before taking three wickets.

Kiran Carlson smashed Glamorgan's fastest T20 half-century off 15 balls but his knock of 77 was in vain.

Middlesex's bowling attack fought back to shut down Glamorgan after a strong start to the home team's innings.

Middlesex openers Stevie Eskinazi and Joe Cracknell raced to 69-0 by the end of the powerplay on their way to a 79-run partnership for the first wicket.

Their opening stand was ended when Cracknell (39) was bowled by Prem Sisodiya with the first ball of the eighth over.

Ezkinazi (38) was gone with the first ball of the ninth, bowled by Peter Hatzoglou, with the Australian spinner claiming Max Holden (five) two balls later.

The run rate had climbed above 11 an over, but Glamorgan started to bowl their way back into the match as the Middlesex wickets began to fall.

John Simpson (21) went leg before off Andy Gorvin in the 13th over, before Sisodiya removed Jack Davies (four) and Luke Hollman (six) in the 16th.

Glamorgan lost Hatzoglou due to injury, but Ruaidhri Smith replaced him and dismissed Joshua de Caires, caught by Sam Northeast for 5.

But Middlesex kept going, spurred on by top scorer Higgins, with his 71 not out helping his team reach 200 in spite of Glamorgan's increasing confidence with the ball.

Glamorgan looked up to the chase, with captain Carlson hitting 19 in the first over in another sparkling knock.

Northeast's wicket was the first to fall, edged to wicketkeeper John Simpson off Ethan Bamber for two.

Carlson reached his record-breaking half-century in just the fifth over, as Glamorgan outpaced Middlesex to 87-1 after the powerplay.

But Carlson fell in the seventh over, caught and bowled by Luke Hollman to the stunned silence of Sophia Gardens.

Higgins threatened a hat-trick in the eighth, removing Will Smale lbw before Chris Cooke edged Simpson with the next ball, but Tom Bevan survived the third delivery.

Glamorgan remained above the required run rate at the halfway point, but the wickets kept falling.

It was Bamber's turn to threaten a hat-trick in the 12th over, dismissing Colin Ingram leg before on a delivery that looked to be pitching outside leg.

But the umpire's finger went up and Ingram had to go, with Timm van der Gugten following him one ball later, caught and bowled.

Andy Gorvin spoiled the hat-trick ball, but Middlesex had wicket number seven just one ball later.

Higgins started off the 13th over by catching Bevan (17) off his own delivery, reducing Glamorgan to 127-7 with the current and required run rates getting ever further apart.

Hollman's dismissal of Sisodiya for nine took the air out of the Sophia Gardens crowd, and the tail was chased in the 16th over.

For the visitors, it is a positive end to a T20 Blast campaign that had brought just one win before their final two matches as they return to County Championship action at home to Northamptonshire on 10 July.

Meanwhile, Glamorgan will be left disappointed that they could not capitalise on a strong start, returning to action when they host Leicestershire in the County Championship on 10 July.

Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson told BBC Sport Wales:

"I think they probably got 20 (runs) too many. I think it really hurt us that Peter Hatzoglou had to go off and couldn't finish his four overs because he was really hard to play on that wicket.

"We felt like we were still in the game. Obviously with our batting line up, we back ourselves to chase anything.

"To be fair to Middlesex, they bowled really well, pegged us back, took a load of wickets, and it's always going to be tough when you're six or seven (wickets) down.

"It's the way it goes, it's kind of been the story of our T20 season; we've shown flashes of really good stuff but sometimes some really bad stuff as well. So, stuff to think about, and try and come back next year stronger and learn from it. "

Middlesex all rounder Ryan Higgins told BBC Radio London:

"Nice to get over the line for the third time. It's been a tough campaign, but it's nice the last couple of weeks to put in some good performances.

"I think the pitch suited my bowling. It took a bit of time to get going with the bat, but it was nice to be there at the end and get some runs. It was pretty good, I'm pretty happy."

"I think the massive positives for us is just the way we batted; we've scored over 200 three or four times.

"It's been difficult but I think a lot of young guys have held their hands up, and I think for years to come that's going to be massive for us as a club."