Going into the 2008 season, Middlesex hadn’t won a major trophy in 15 years and were unfancied by most to change that anytime soon. But the Seaxes kept faith in their squad, resisting the urge to make any big overseas signings, sticking instead with relatively unproven overseas players. Among them was the South African all-rounder Tyron Henderson, who had just one international appearance to his name.
More than the numbers, his attitude and ability to seize big moments made Tyron Henderson an asset for Middlesex, writes Ben Gardner.
“He was pretty much the moneyball of cricket back in the day,” says Dawid Malan, for whom 2008 was his first full season with the club. “He was the sort of cricketer who’d think, ‘I’ll face one ball to get my left eye in, one ball to get my right eye in, and then try and hit it out of the park’. He could bat, he could bowl, he could field: he was the all-round cricketer.”
Henderson played five seasons of T20 cricket for Middlesex, the highlight of which came in 2008 when he scored 281 runs – the second-most by a Middlesex batsman that year – at an average of 40.14 and strike-rate of 180.12. His haul of 21 wickets was the second-highest in the competition.
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However, more than just his raw numbers, it was Henderson’s attitude and ability to seize big moments that made him such an asset to the club. “He was a competitor, but at tough times in the game you’d look at him and he’d have a smile on his face, relishing the opportunity to win the game,” recalls Malan. “I think a lot of players learnt from him that to win tournaments you have to be the guy to put your hand up in tough situations.”
It was on the grand stage of Finals Day that this big-match temperament really came to the fore. First came a semi-final against a Durham team packed with superstars. Middlesex bowled first and Henderson’s 2-31, bowling at the death, was key to restricting the target to 139. “He had one of the best games ever,” says Owais Shah, who top-scored in the final later the same day. “He bowled really well and smacked Stephen Harmison everywhere. I batted with him and just played a supporting role. I didn’t have to do very much because he was on fire.”
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Tyron Henderson celebrates the wicket of Will Smith in the 2006 T20 Cup semifinal against Durham in Southampton[/caption]
Henderson’s 19-ball half-century, then the joint-second fastest in the format on these shores, contained seven sixes, and propelled Middlesex into a final against Kent.
As the final reached its climax, with Kent requiring six off three balls, it seemed that Middlesex’s long wait for a trophy would continue. The balls were to be bowled by Henderson, whose three-and-a half overs up until that point had cost 54, but he held his nerve.
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“To bowl two dot balls off the last two deliveries in a tense situation shows how much he was worth to the club,” says Malan. “It’s the sign of a good player to bounce back. You can be under pressure but when it’s a tough situation and your team needs you, you put your hand up.”
First published in April 2017
