Bulgaria, a lesser-known cricketing nation, will be feeling hard done as it's the second time in the last three months that a team has leapfrogged their record of the second-highest successful run-chase in T20 cricket history. Bulgaria, who nearly a year ago nearly challenged Australia by registering the highest run-chase in T20 cricket history against Serbia by chasing down 243 runs, now find themselves in the fourth spot on the same list.
Middlesex on Thursday (June 22), smashed several records on their way to a massive run-chase of 252 runs, posted by Surrey batting first at the Oval in the T20 Blast. Middlesex captain Stephen Eskinazi led his side's response with a 39-ball 73 while the likes of Joe Cracknell, Ryan Higgins, and others followed in the same vein.
Middlesex chased down the total with four balls to spare and made the bowling attack comprising Chris Jordan, Sam Curran, Sunil Narine, and Sean Abbott look like a pedestrian.
This was the highest successful run-chase in Blast history and second highest in T20 cricket history. South Africa still remain at the top after their out-of-the-world-like batting in March this year against the West Indies where they chased down 259 runs in 18.5 overs in Centurion.
Quinton de Kock starred with a 44-ball century while Reeza Hendricks provided him with terrific support as the hosts were batting on a different level that day after West Indies posted a 258-run score riding on Johnson Charles' 46-ball 118.
Here's a look at the top 5 highest successful run-chases in T20 history:
1. 259/4 - South Africa vs West Indies at Centurion, March 2023
2. 254/3 - Middlesex vs Surrey in T20 Blast, June 2023
3. 245/5 - Australia vs New Zealand at Auckland, February 2018
4. 246/4 - Bulgaria vs Serbia at Sofia, June 2022
5. 244/6 - Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi in Rawalpindi, March 2023
