Ben Geddes and Luke Hollman hit career-bests as Middlesex raced to a six-wicket win over strugglers Kent at Radlett to keep alive their hopes of a place in the knockout stages of the One-Day Cup.
Geddes led the way with an unbeaten 141 – his first century in List-A cricket – while Hollman (77 not out) made his maiden half-century in the format, the pair sharing a record unbroken stand of 195 for the fifth wicket as the hosts chased down a target of 280 with five overs to spare.
Kent’s 279-6 was built around an unbeaten 63 for Jack Leaning and 50 for Chris Benjamin, the former sharing a stand of 81 in nine overs with debutant Corey Flintoff, son of former England all-rounder Andrew, who impressed with an unbeaten 29. Henry Brookes and Middlesex List-A debutant Sebastian Morgan took three wickets apiece.
England Under-19 international Ben Dawkins took three fours from one Noah Cornwell over and ramped Toby Roland-Jones over wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell’s head to dominate an opening stand of 52 with Jaydn Denly.
The latter struggled for any fluency, his torturous effort ending when he cut Brookes to backward point. Dawkins took his boundary count to eight only to fall two short of 50 when caught by Cracknell, giving Morgan his first wicket.
Benjamin and Joey Evison upped the tempo in a stand of 47 before Morgan pegged back the latter’s off stump and a chance for a fourth wicket was spurned when Brookes dropped Benjamin on 33.
Benjamin profited from the life, flaying Morgan over third and crunching a seventh four through the covers to reach 50, but he fell immediately afterwards to Brookes, ending a stand of 58 with Harry Finch.
Brookes struck again two balls later to remove Ekansh Singh, superbly caught by Sam Robson, and when Finch became Morgan’s third victim Kent were 198-6.
