Centurion Malan sets sights on England

The 20-year-old, who was born in Roehampton but raised in South Africa, looked a real star in the making last night while scoring 103 from 54 balls to defeat Andrew Flintoff's Lancashire at the quarter-final stage.

Malan's masterpiece, which included 10 fours and six sixes, gave Middlesex all the belief they needed to book a place on finals day for the first time. And he did it from a seemingly hopeless position of 21 for four.

Now, in the space of a fortnight, the youngster has scored his maiden championship century - 132 against Northants at Uxbridge - and produced the kind of Twenty20 innings that could have Indian Premier League recruiters seeking his telephone number.

But if Malan finds himself being chased by international selectors, who would he want to represent? "I'd love to play for England," said the left-hander, who has a South African father and English mother.

He lived in this country until the age of eight but then moved to South Africa where he played cricket - and he still goes back every winter. So does he really regard himself as English? "I do, yes," said Middlesex's newest hero.

But whatever the future holds for Malan, he will be hard pressed to eclipse last night's effort.

Flintoff finally ended Malan's magical innings in the last over but the England all-rounder was so impressed with what had gone on before that he ran down the pitch to shake the youngster's hand. "That meant a lot coming from him," said Malan.

Middlesex's 176 for seven would have been way out of reach but for Flintoff 's fighting 53. And just when it looked as though Lancashire might get up on the rails, their big hope flicked a low full toss from Steve Finn straight to deep square-leg - and into the hands of Malan. Who else?

Victory in the semi-final at the Rose Bowl on 26 July will put Middlesex into the new Champions League with its proposed first prize of £2.5million.

Surrey, meanwhile, have made an official inquiry about signing Middlesex batsman Ed Joyce, who is out of contract at the end of this year.