Paul Stirling: Middlesex reaching T20 Blast Finals Day the best way to bow out

Will Macpherson5 September 2019

Paul Stirling is desperate to sign off on a high after a decade at Middlesex and believes there would be no better way to do so than reaching Finals Day of the Vitality Blast.

Stirling announced this week that he would be leaving Middlesex in order to continue playing for Ireland due to new regulations meaning Irish players can no longer qualify as local, non-overseas players.

It was an unenviable decision to have to make and one the Belfast-born batsman admits delaying as long as possible. “It was a really tough decision to have to make,” said Stirling. “It has been an amazing 10 years at Middlesex and I’m very sad to be leaving. I put it off for so long and can’t really explain why I’ve made the decision I have, because it was so hard.

“Middlesex have been amazing for Irish cricketers and I see Angus Fraser (director of cricket) as something of a father figure. It’s a great shame to have to make such a decision.”

The 29-year-old has played in all three of Ireland’s Test matches since they finally achieved top-flight status last year, as well as 104 ODIs.

He says, though, that the current Middlesex T20 batting line-up is the best he has played in — a point highlighted by their extraordinary chase of Somerset’s 227 on Friday to reach a Blast quarter-final against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge tonight.

Stirling, Dawid Malan, AB de Villiers and Eoin Morgan made 181 off 69 balls between them to reach the mammoth target with three overs to spare. England’s World Cup-winning captain Morgan — another Irishman to come through at Middlesex — made 83 off just 29 balls.

“I have no hesitation in saying it’s the best batting line-up I’ve played in,” said Stirling. “I feel really very lucky to be a part of it.

“That score had been coming. It felt like it was written in the stars. After a good start to the tournament, we had not been quite on it for a few games, but we had to win and when that target was set we all knew we had the firepower to chase it. I still cannot believe we made it with that many balls to spare.”

Stirling says that match has confirmed Middlesex’s belief that they can out-bat any team — especially at Trent Bridge, which is a notoriously high-scoring ground in white-ball cricket. Nottinghamshire are a fine side with a good understanding of the oddly-shaped ground, but Stirling is confident that Middlesex can reach Finals Day for the first time since 2008, when they won their sole T20 title.

“There’s just no fear of failure now, and that brings clarity,” said Stirling. “Reaching Finals Day would be a great way to sign off from a club I love.”

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