Charlie Allison and Luc Benkenstein shared a stand of 133 in 91 balls as Essex recorded a third successive win in the 2026 Vitality Blast, crushing struggling Middlesex by 60 runs at Merchant Taylors’ School.

Allison struck his second successive half-century, hitting three sixes in his 37-ball 61, while Benkenstein top scored with 67 (56 balls, two sixes), the pair helping the visitors recover from 26 for 2 to eventually post an imposing 176 for 5. Tom Helm and Noah Cornwell both bowled well for the hosts, but two lots of five wides didn’t help their cause.

Middlesex were never in it in reply as they suffered a third successive defeat, former England U19 Noah Thain returning a career-best 3 for 11, this after Zaman Akhter had taken two in four balls earlier in the home side’s collapse, with only a few defiant blows from Ryan Higgins (36) enabling them to scrape their way to 116.

Middlesex gained early reward after opting to bowl, Paul Walter skying one from Cornwell to Eathan Bosch at fine leg. Michael Pepper responded with three fours in four balls off Bosch before, attempting a fourth, he scooped one to square leg where Josh De Caires took a fine catch as the ball dropped over his shoulder.

Benkenstein and Allison however repaired the early damage reaching 65 for 2 at halfway. Acceleration came thereafter with Benkenstein the initial aggressor, clubbing one from Seb Morgan over the ropes and then pulling a short one from Higgins almost as far as the pavilion.

Allison, content to play second fiddle for a while, then caught the mood with successive sixes off Bosch, in an over which went for 27, while another ball from the otherwise excellent Helm was dispatched with equal disdain.

Both would fall before the innings closed, Benkenstein brilliantly caught and bowled by Helm from a steepling top edge, while Allison was sent on his way by a yorker from Seb Morgan.

Shane Snater gave Essex the perfect start ball in hand when castling Adam Rossington for a duck. Max Holden swept Charlie Bennett for a maximum, but Akhter struck twice in four balls to remove De Caires and Ben Geddes, the latter for a duck.

His six apart, Holden struggled on a slightly two-paced pitch before Wiaan Mulder got one through his defence and the rate required climbed inexorably as the boundaries dried up. The pressure told as Leus du Plooy and Luke Hollman perished to catches on the fence in Thain’s first over. Thain wasn’t finish there as Bosch was sent packing in his next.

Higgins twice cleared the ropes as partners came and went, but he was ninth out caught in the deep and to complete a bad day for Middlesex Cornwell was struck on the arm in the act of being bowled as Essex wrapped up a resounding victory.