It was a superb day for everyone involved with the club

Harshad Patel

Hereford's giantkilling tradition

"It was like Hereford and Newcastle, especially with Colin there," said Peter Sykes, the county's secretary.

"Colin is a great follower and friend of the club.

"It was an incredible game. It swung this way and that throughout. It is undoubtedly our greatest moment."

Herefordshire CCC were not even in existence the last time a minor county beat a first-class side in a full game - Cheshire beating Northamptonshire in 1988 - and it had happened only 10 times previously in 38 years.

Herefordshire joined the Minor Counties when Durham achieved first-class status.

"We were asked if we fancied replacing Durham," said Sykes.

"We had no team, no money and no ground so of course we said yes."

Middlesex fielded a side with two Test players, an England one-day international and a couple of England 'A' players.

Herefordshire had Harshad Patel - cousin of former New Zealand Test player Dipak - who had played one game for Worcestershire 16 years ago and Ismail Dawood, a wicketkeeper who had managed to play for Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Glamorgan in the space of five seasons.

Ismail Dawood: First-class experience

Batting first, Middlesex made an above average 278 and a stiff target for an amateur side.

But Patel and 20-year-old Nathan Round opened with 129 and after Patel fell for 68, Dawood and Nick Davies scrambled Herefordshire home with a ball to spare.

"It was a superb day for everyone involved with the club - players, supporters, the committee," said the 37-year-old Patel.

"We did think that if a couple of our first four batsman got a score we could get somewhere near.

"We got such a good start, Nathan and I were scoring at seven or eight and over for the first 10 overs and I always thought we could do it from then.

"It is easily the best day for Herefordshire and hopefully it will generate more local interest in the club. It was an immensely satisfying performance."

Their reward is a fourth round game at neighbours Worcestershire, their ideal tie and one that will cause plenty of divided loyalties - not least for Patel.

He works for the Worcestershire Cricket Board as a development officer and spent several years on the county's staff in the 80's alongside the likes of Graeme Hick and Steve Rhodes.

Next up: Graeme Hick

Hick's dismantling of Hertfordshire in the third round is the more usual fate of a minor county.

"It is the perfect showpiece and again we will having nothing to lose," said Patel.

Sykes and Patel have been with Herefordshire since the start, trying to build a player base in a rural county.

And it is working. Last year they won the ECB 38-County Trophy, now this and Worcestershire to come.

"The record shows upsets are infrequent - but giantkillings will happen," said Sykes.

"We have greater expectations now."