Middlesex are worth a wager

Middlesex have had to surrender home advantage in their Twenty20 Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night but  still look a good bet, at 6-5 with Bet365, to prove too strong for Lancashire.

The tie is being played at the Oval because Lord’s is unavailable this week as it stages the first Test between England and South Africa from Thursday. That will be a disappointment to Middlesex, but they have flourished since frustrated members signed a petition calling for a Special General Meeting to discuss the county’s poor form at the end of May.

The players responded with eight successive wins - including five in this competition. That run has since been halted but their  form in this tournament has been a revelation, with their bowling attack, in particular, excelling.

Quick bowlers Tyron Henderson and Dirk Nannes have combined to take 31 wickets at around 13 per victim, while slow bowlers Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik have also shone. The quartet have each gone for under seven runs per over, laying the foundation for their team to win a tough group at the expense of Essex and Kent.

The evergreen Udal is also averaging 98 with the bat and his strikerate compares favourably with the big-hitting pair of Henderson and Eoin Morgan. This trio could, though, be upstaged by Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah.

The England pair are each a best-priced 4-1 to emerge as Middlesex’s top runscorer.

Lancashire lost three group fixtures en route to the last eight and, while their bowling boasts depth, their batting has lacked a bit of destruction. Most firms make them 8-11 but, on present form, they do not deserve to be favourites.

Lou Vincent has been their most prolific batsman - he has scored 267 runs at 38 per innings - and is generally 4-1 to be their top scorer.