Youngster Andre Fletcher produced a shower of sixes as the Stanford Superstars sent out a message to England not to count on their dollars.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Fletcher clattered Middlesex for an unbeaten 90, off only 66 balls - the first half-century of the Stanford Super Series.

The under-fire tournament exploded into life as Fletcher, a West Indies international, staged his aerial assault at Coolidge.

The 20-year-old hit seven sixes in all, more than doubling his career tally, as the Superstars posted 173 for four, comfortably the largest score of the week, on their way to a 58-run win.

All-rounder Kieron Pollard also blitzed four sixes from his nine balls faced, as the hosts highlighted the value of big shots in 20-over cricket.

"If the ball is not there to hit, then you have to try to get the singles but you have to put the bad balls away," said Fletcher. "I guess it is just a natural thing in all of us - if the ball is there to beat, we beat it.

"When the ball is there I rely on my strength; if it is not then we have to work the ones, twos and threes."

Fletcher's ability to strike conventional strokes with extreme power rallied the scoring after captain Chris Gayle succumbed in the first over of the contest.

Left-hander Gayle was undone by a Tim Murtagh delivery that pitched on leg-stump and shot low to win a straightforward leg-before decision.

By the time Shivnarine Chanderpaul was adjudged caught behind off Steve Finn in the fifth over, after intervention from television umpire Simon Taufel, Fletcher had cracked three of his maximums.

Murtagh was classically on-driven, Alan Richardson towered straight back over his head and Finn flashed over extra-cover.

He showcased his impressive bat speed in shot execution towards the death in tandem with Sylvester Joseph and Pollard as the Caribbean collective raised the bar.

England's players in the crowd, observing their weekend opponents for the US dollars 20million showdown, would have been in awe of the sheer power.

Middlesex missed the steadying influence of Murali Kartik, who was unavailable due to commitments with his Indian side Railways.

Fellow spinner Shaun Udal was Middlesex's most successful bowler with figures of one for 24 from his four overs as the batsmen feasted on pace.

Such was the innings acceleration, in fact, once Udal departed the attack that 69 runs came in the final five overs - Pollard sending the crowd wild with three consecutive sixes off Tyron Henderson in the 20th.

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Joseph also cleared the ropes, a tactic the Superstars have been practising for six weeks at their training camp.

Both holed out attempting further big blows before Pollard, a hulking 21-year-old, contributed the lion's share of a 47-run alliance with Fletcher.

"They showed the immense hitting power they have got, particularly down the end there," said defeated captain Udal. "Fletcher played an unbelievable innings but Pollard's hitting at the end, my word, he hit some huge ones.

"I have never seen Tyron Henderson, the leading wicket-taker in world Twenty20, treated like that. He said that is the most he has gone for in an over in his career in Twenty20 cricket.

"He doesn't often get it wrong but he did and he travelled. There is a serious game of cricket on Saturday - they're a real threat."

In reply, Middlesex's loss of regular wickets - four went down inside the powerplay - scuppered a realistic chance of a close contest.

Highly-rated batsman Eoin Morgan, a member of England's performance squad this winter, displayed his obvious talent with an eye-catching cameo of 22, including the county's only six.

Two wickets in consecutive balls from spinner Dave Mohammed sealed the crushing victory with 15 deliveries to spare.