County name unchanged squad for Middlesex game

Date: Thursday 09 July 2009

Senior Coach Tim Boon has named an unchanged squad for tomorrow’s Championship game with Middlesex.

Josh Cobb, who made a scintillating 220 for England under 19s against Bangladesh this week, will be part of the 12-man squad along with colleague James Taylor.

England under 19s won their match inside three days, so the duo will not have to rush back from Scarborough to take their places.

Taylor scored his maiden first-class century against Middlesex at Southgate earlier this season, and he will be looking to continue his good form after making 89 in the last four-day game at Derbyshire.

Cobb also has fond memories of Middlesex after scoring his first ever hundred for the club at Lord’s last season, so the duo will be looking forward to the match.

Slow left armer George Walker will be hoping for another chance to impress, while bowling all-rounder Wayne White will be hoping to take his place in the side after recovering from an ankle injury that ruled him out of the game against his former club.

Had rain not fallen on the final day, County may well have claimed their first Championship win of the season.

There was still plenty of work to do, but the team can take heart from getting themselves into a winning position and will look to build on that in tomorrow's game.

Tom New, Jim Allenby, HD Ackerman and Iain O'Brien all impressed at Derby and will look to continue in their good form.

County have a decent record against Middlesex over the last couple of years, and beat them in the opening game of the Championship season last year.

The team then dominated a draw at Lord's later on in 2008, and despite Ashes openers Andrew Strauss and Philip Hughes being in stunning form at Southgate in April this year, County battled to a creditable draw with Taylor batting for most of the final day.

Middlesex will also choose from 12, with Alan Richardson and Neil Dexter ruled out through injury.

Tim Murtagh returns to the fold though, and he will be a key man for the visitors as he snapped up well over 50 first-class wickets last season.

County (from): Boyce, Cobb, Dippenaar (capt), Ackerman, Allenby, Taylor, New (wk), White, Walker, O’Brien, Harris, Gurney.

Middx: (from): Godleman, Compton, Shah, Morgan, Malan, Nash (wk),Murtagh, Udal (capt), Berg, Kartik, Finn, Burton.