Fletcher fireworks as Stanford Superstars win

The 21-year-old Grenadian blasted three fours and seven sixes (66 balls) to propel the Stanford Superstars to 173 for four wickets in their 20 overs after they were inserted by Middlesex.

Not to be left out of the pyrotechnics was Kieron Pollard who was left undefeated on 29 from just nine balls, with four sixes, three coming in successive balls in the last over bowled by Tyron Henderson.

Also making a good contribution was Sylvester Joseph who hit 29 (24 balls, 2x4, 2x6) and shared an entertaining fourth wicket partnership of 60 with Fletcher.

In reply, Middlesex needed to score at a demanding rate of 8.65 runs an over but lost wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 37 for four in the sixth over.

The English Twenty20 champions were eventually dismissed for 115 to lose their three matches in the Stanford Super Series. Daren Powell, Lennox Cush and Dave “Tadpole” Mohammed claimed two wickets each for the Stanford Superstars.

Earlier the home team were off to a dreadful start when captain Chris Gayle was out second ball without scoring, helpless against a “ratters” from Tim Murtagh which scurried along the wicket ankle-high to trap him palpably leg before.

But 21-year-old Grenadian threw caution to the wind crashing two sixes off Murtagh and another of Steve Finn to put on 32 in quick time with Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Chanderpaul, looking composed and intent on a solid score departed however after scoring six, sent back by the third umpire after getting the faintest of under-edges which was referred by Asad Rauf to Third Umpire Steve Davis.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, out for a first-ball duck in his last innings partnered Fletcher, and they put on 34 in five overs. But Sarwan (15) did not stick around longer, caught in the deep by Eoin Morgan off Middlesex captain Shaun Udal with the score on 66.

Fletcher then brought up his 50 (45 balls, 1x4, 4x6) way over mid-on) with a savage pull for six off Malan that travelled 96 metres over the long on boundary which he bettered shortly after with a heave of 105 metres off the same bowler.

Teams:

Stanford Superstars: Chris Gayle (captain), Andre Fletcher (wkpr), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Sylvester Joseph, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Lennox Cush, Daren Powell, Rayad Emrit, Dave Mohammed

Middlesex: Shane Udal (captain), Andrew Strauss, Ed Joyce, Neil Dexter, Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan, Tyron Henderson, Ben Scott (wkpr), Tim Murtagh, Alan Richardson, Steven Finn.