Shah, promoted to open, brought up his half century in just 19 deliveries and memorably despatched Kiwi all rounder Craig McMillan for 28 in his solitary over. Incredibly, Middlesex reached 82-0 after 6 overs and 130-1 after 10, and the visitors were potentially eyeing up a record total in the region of 250 before the Hawks gained a belated modicum of control in the latter part of Middlesex’s knock.

Chasing 211, Hampshire made a commendable effort in the face of a spiralling required rate, but a superbly consistent spell from Irfan Pathan ensured the hosts fell short.

Man of the match Shah was in scintillating form, hitting both the quicks and spinners with authority. He added 91 with Ed Smith (38), who might have been run out in the first over, and 46 with Scott Styris (29) before skying Shaun Udal to deep mid-wicket. Styris, who had looked in brutal touch, was undone by a Shane Warne long hop and only found long on where Greg Lamb pulled off a fine catch tumbling forward.

That was a rare plus point in an otherwise shoddy Hampshire fielding display, but they did enough in the later stages to ensure their target remained within reach. The Crusaders mustered only 39 from their final 5 overs.

Pathan’s first over was impressive in the extreme, conceding just a single, and Mel Betts proved a reliable partner from the other end. In contrast to Middlesex’s blazing opening, Hampshire could reach only 40-1 after 6 overs.

However, the spinners could not sustain that economy. Nic Pothas, dropped on 37 by Joyce with a low sun to contend with at deep backward square leg, proceeded to hit three sixes off the next over from Paul Weekes before giving Chris Peploe a deserved return catch.

Nevertheless, the arrival of big hitting McMillan to the crease threatened to swing the pendulum back towards Hampshire. He struck fellow countryman Styris for two sixes in one over, and Hampshire’s target had come down to 69 from 6 when he pulled Pathan’s first ball after being recalled to the attack down the throat of deep square leg.

Warne followed to a neat stumping the next ball and soon Hampshire found the mountain too high to climb. Having started excellently, though, Middlesex’s fielding became increasingly ragged with Joyce (again) and Weekes spilling fairly straightforward catches and Scott unusually missing a fairly standard stumping opportunity.

Nonetheless, this success represents Middlesex’s first away victory in the Twenty20 Cup since its inception two years ago, and it provides a good starting point to challenge for a place in the quarter finals.

Please click here for the scorecard for this match

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