IN the last couple of games we have played some very good cricket and we have to carry that into tonight's Twenty20 Cup quarter-final.

Middlesex have been great this year, they only lost two group matches and that hasn't come about just by fluking it - they have a formula.

They have quality in their batting with the likes of Owais Shah, who is a top striker of the ball; Eoin Morgan, who scored a century against the South Africans over the weekend; Ed Joyce, who has a one-day hundred for England and then there is bowler Dirk Nannes, who has had huge success with Victoria in the Twenty20 format in Australia.

Murali Kartik did wonders for us in helping us win the Second Division championship a few seasons ago. So they have match-winners all over the park, but then so have we.

And we go into the game on a huge high after the Champion- ship win over Sussex at Hove.

Performance

It was a game we had to win but first and foremost we had to put in a good performance.

To lose the toss and bowl Sussex out for 205 I thought was outstanding, in fact it is probably unheard of down there on a bright sunny day on a flat wicket.

Meanwhile, our thoughts go out to the Hodge family and we wish his wife Meg a speedy recovery from her illness. To lose Brad for the rest of the season is a big blow.

Lou Vincent probably doesn't come with the pedigree Brad has, but he adds to different areas and he is welcome on board.

Not having the continuity of playing staff has been the key that has been missing in recent years. When you sign an overseas player it would be great to have him for the whole season. You can't really win a Championship when you have players coming in for a couple of months here and there.

It makes sense having Lou here now until the end of the year. He knows his position and knows what he has to do. Tweet