Eoin Morgan steps up after Phil Hughes fails

Austalian run-machine Phil Hughes failed with the bat today but England's Eoin Morgan took up the mantle for Middlesex in their Friends Provident Trophy clash against Kent.

Hughes, who joined Middlesex on a short-term contract ahead of the Ashes, has been in electric form in the County Championship striking three centuries in as many games.

However, in the Group B clash at Canterbury today he made just 12 before he was bowled by Wayne Parnell. Middlesex then lost Owais Shah for a duck to leave them on 31 for two but up stepped Morgan, who joined forces with Nick Compton to share in a third-wicket stand of 277. Morgan who is in England's squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, weighed in with 161 before he was caught by Parnell off a delivery from Azhar Mahmood. Compton was run out soon after having made 131.

Yesterday, Ravi Bopara failed to repeat his England heroics for Essex but they still coasted to a six-wicket victory over Lancashire to knock their rivals off the top of Group D.

After his crucial century in the First Test win at Lord's, Bopara was granted the opportunity to play for his county yesterday — unlike the remainder of the team retained to take on West Indies this week.

The extra innings brought him only two runs before he was seen off by Glen Chapple, but Essex still passed a target of only 157 all out at Chelmsford with almost six overs to spare. Bopara did make a contribution with the ball, snapping up the key wicket of Ashwell Prince as Lancashire collapsed to 82.