Teddington’s Dawid Malan has blamed the new county cricket structure for Middlesex’s poor T20 Blast form.

The 26-year-old opener got a first ball duck, but saw his side collect their first win of the competition with an eight-wicket triumph over Somerset at the Kia Oval on Wednesday night.

The domestic fixture list was altered this season to see four day games start at weekends, allowing T20 matches to be spread throughout the campaign – rather than in a specific window.

Middlesex are riding high in the LV= County Championship Division One table – despite a surprise six wicket defeat to Nottinghamshire earlier in the week – and Malan has admitted that has been the side’s focus.

“The new structure means you do not get a lot of time to practise your white ball cricket,” he said.

“We finished at Nottinghamshire game on Tuesday and were playing T20 on Wednesday night and then again on Friday.

“Because we are doing so well in the Championship we are obviously concentrating on that, which means no time to practise limited overs cricket.

“It also means I’ve had no time to fit in the odd game for Teddington, which is not ideal.”

Twickenham CC’s Gurjit Sandhu claimed 1-34 in Wednesday’s T20 win and he could be on show when Middlesex take on Glamorgan at Richmond’s Old Deer Park ground on July 3 (5.30pm).

“Because we have not done so well, we will probably be looking to give the younger players a go,” he added.

“Gurjit is clearly a player they are keen to develop because he is a left arm seamer and they are uncommon.”