Watch how Kevin Pietersen injured his calf, ran out Aaron Finch, and deployed a runner in a bonkers nine-ball innings in the NatWest T20 Blast! Watch how Kevin Pietersen injured his calf, ran out Aaron Finch, and deployed a runner in a bonkers nine-ball innings in the NatWest T20 Blast!

Kevin Pietersen injured his calf, ran out Aaron Finch, and deployed a runner in a bonkers nine-ball innings in Surrey's NatWest T20 Blast win over Middlesex.

Pietersen (4) damaged his calf while smacking a 35-ball 52 against Essex on Wednesday night and tweaked it first ball against Middlesex on Friday after coming through a pre-match fitness test.

The former England batsman declined a single after tapping the delivery into the leg-side and sent Finch (40) back - but the Australian could not make his ground before Steve Finn whipped off his bails.

Middlesex skipper Brendon McCullum sportingly allowed Pietersen to have a runner, with Jason Roy, who had been caught in the deep not long earlier, the man asked to charge between the wickets.

Andrew Flintoff caught up with former England team-mate Kevin Pietersen ahead of the clash between Surrey and Middlesex Andrew Flintoff caught up with former England team-mate Kevin Pietersen ahead of the clash between Surrey and Middlesex

Pietersen and Roy only spent a further eight balls in the middle, though, with the former looping Finn to Toby Roland-Jones at midwicket before hobbling off at a sold-out Oval.

"I can't blame Kevin - he did everything he could," said Sky Sports Cricket's Nasser Hussain. "He wanted to play and he pushed himself to the limit.

"I have criticised Kevin over the years but what else was he supposed to do today? I'd rather have someone who wants to be out there in this sort of environment than someone say: 'I've got the cash, I'll stay upstairs'."

Brendon McCullum had no issues allowing Pietersen to deploy a runner

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match - which Surrey won by 15 runs - McCullum said about handing Pietersen a runner: "We discussed it before the game and had to treat it as if KP was fully fit. Something happened but you have to get on with it.

"What you didn't want to do was get KP's back up as then he would have played a sublime hand. It wasn't that big an issue."

Surrey skipper Gareth Batty added: "Kevin had done the work, done the running and was good to go. He said he was fine and could run twos. We were comfortable and it was just unfortunate that it happened first ball.

"Maybe we look a bit foolish in the end, so credit to Brendon for taking it well."