Thread by @wickyai

What have @Middlesex_CCC got (back) in Ryan Higgins?

Back at his old club after a successful spell at Gloucestershire, #Blast23 will be Ryan Higgins' first T20 campaign for Middlesex since 2017.

Here's a glimpse of what they're getting (back) with him. 👇

Last year, Higgins was Glos' fourth top scorer & striking at 133, was third quickest in the top five behind Miles Hammond and Glenn Phillips.

His favourite opponents were Sussex (52 runs/144 SR) & Somerset (46/148), both of whom he'll face in the South Group of #Blast23.

Higgins batted mostly through the middle for Glos last season, striking at 137 for his 152 runs in overs 7-16.

Chances to wield the blade at the death were scant but the glimpses were promising - his scoring rate sharpened to 150 in the final four overs.

#Blast23

Striking at 155 v right arm pace & 143 v the left arm stuff, Higgins looks a common-or-garden pace basher but there's more to it.

The wide disparity in dot ball % v the two kinds of quick bowling really jumps out - and illustrates Higgins' varied approach.

#Blast23

Those numbers suggest he relied much more on boundaries against left armers while turning over strike against right armers with ease.

Against leg spin, Higgins' strike rate was a healthy 148 & he again boasted a dot ball % south of 30 v that type of bowling.

#Blast23

All this to say that Higgins' strike rotation against right arm bowling is genuinely excellent - dot ball % of 23 & 28 are impressive.

On the flipside, it suggests an equal discomfort in doing the same against left arm bowling, with dot ball % in the mid-40s.

#Blast23

With the ball, Higgins' 9 wkts were again fourth best at Glos in 2022.

He had particular joy against Hampshire, getting more than half his wickets against them - and faces them again on 26 May in the South Group of #Blast23.

A double digit economy doesn't look good, but Middlesex may have different opinions on seeing that broken down by phase of game.

Higgins absolutely travelled in the middle overs last season, but bowled much tighter in the first six and the last four.

#Blast23

Most of his deliveries came in overs 17-20 - and he may well reprise the role of death overs specialist at Middlesex - but it might be worth giving Higgins the new ball.

Or at least, a 7.6 econ is good enough to redistribute some of his middle overs overs (ha!) to the first 6.

@randomcricstat @CricAspect @ariescric @kartcric @rhitankar8616 @rory_denis @dazzalytics @cric_blog @Haarrre @crictakes6 @rhitankar8616 trying out something new for the Blast! First time doing a portfolio-style breakdown & keen to hear any numbers/presentation related feedback

This is one step just above breakdowns of player strike rates, or records v certain teams. Any numbers you think should be a part of any portfolio that have been missed out here?

@alexfraser04 have been following RH for a while; perfect timing that today was the day we debuted these!

@bobbydugnutt111 no word, fair or foul, is uttered about Glos on this bird app without you knowing about it. Consider this message deference to that law of nature (and yes, that is a whimsical barge in the top right of the graphic). 🙏