Hodd Carries Sussex
Will his five wkts be eno
By comebackgatt
May 8 2010
comebackgatt reports from Hove on day three of the CC match between Sussex and Middlesex.It was another roller coaster day for Middle fans as they seemed to be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Also there was an unlikely batting hero for the home side. read on...
Having gone by train on Wednesday, I decided to drive. As I was on my own I took the scenic route, the coast road through Dover, Folkestone, Hastings etc and arrived in very good time. Park up and entered the ground, weather very cloudy and again a bit nippy, as they say.
We have done really well so far in this match and I am full of hope that we can finally win our first CC match of the season, and against the leaders.Overnight Sussex were 113-4, a lead of just 34, but Matt prior was still there on 48, Hodd his partner.
Collins opened the bowling and in his first over was struck for four by Hodd. IOB then came on and with his first ball got the vital victory of Prior who skied a catch to Smith on the square leg boundary and Sussex were 118-5!! What a start. The guy next to muttered something unrepeatable but as the morning wore on we became friendly, although I did notice that he, like those commented on by Kimmy, was a bit of a moaner who seemed to think Sussex would walk this Division and what were they doing in Div Two anyway!
That brought Martin-Jenkins to the wicket, and he and Hood set about digging themselves in although the latter still played some nice attacking shots. However, with the score on 154, RMJ was trapped in front offering no shot by Dial M much to his, and the Middle fans present, delight. Anyon came to the wicket, Rod (the guy next to me) commented “he won’t last long”, let’s hope so I thought. He had some good solid defence however (Anyon not Rob) and played a couple of good attacking shots. Hodd continued to bat very sensibly and Strauss was intent on keeping the pressure on with attacking fields meant that anything that got through the infield went for four.
Lunch arrived at 211-6 a lead of 132, with Hodd 69 no and Anyon 15I commented that it was cold enough to be watching football and not cricket and Rob mentioned he was a fan of Bognor Regis Town (now that is something to be a moaner about). Anyway I told him I watched a lot of non league football and we spent the interval eating, drinking hot coffee and discussing how the non league pyramid might look next season including the bizarre possibility that Bognor might be moved to the Southern League and Worthing play in the Rymans. I was able to make him splutter on his roll when I told him the Northern League will be called the “Evo Stick” League.
After the break we managed to break this partnership when Anyon edged Murtagh to Dawid Malan at slip (219-7), that brought Naved to the wicket, he can be a dangerous customer, but not today as Dial M picked up his fifth wicket of the innings trapping the batman in front for just one. Enter Monty to the usual cheers. However, he started to frustrate us again by hanging around, also found time to strike a four!Now I’m getting a bit nervous,
Hodd has gone through to his well deserved hundred and even Monty is dangerously close to looking like a batsman as he hits another couple of fours. The lead is now over 200 when on 288 Hodd's fine knock comes to an end with another lbw decision, this time in IOB favour. Collymore the new batsman, come on lads, if he is below Monty in the batting line up.....
What should be teatime arrives but on we go as there are nine wickets down, Malan gets a couple of overs, every run from Monty is cheered by the home fans while I look on in disbelief, he has a career average of 8.87 and a top score of 39, which he passes and the reception he gets would make you think he has a hundred. Rob is well pleased by now and tells me Alan Richardson has taken five wickets as Worcs beat Leics, trying to rub it in.
Over 300 hundred on the board now and my nerves are beginning to turn to panic!!Finally Pedro Collins traps his fellow West Indian in front for 13 leaving Monty 4 short of his first fifty; you kinda wish he had got them.
Tea taken, we need 243 to win, not going to easy, a testing last session in prospect. Tim Murtagh finishing with 5-91, however questions must be asked again why is it that we cannot seem to finish off the tail, Sussex’s last three wickets putting on 102 priceless runs.
We needed a good start, but Groundhog Day again as the early order feel apart, first Newman continued his indifferent start but it was Groundhog Day again as the early order feel apart. Firstly Newman offered no stroke to Collymore and was lbw(the fifth leg before out of seven wickets that has fallen today) then Shah got an inside edge onto his stumps off the same bowler and we were 22-2. Rob’s spirits were raised now and then after Strauss had played a couple of cracking shots he was trapped in front by Martin-Jenkins for 23 (52-3) a complete lack of footwork there I’m afraid. Dawid Malan cracked a couple of fours, the run rate was over four but that is no good if you are losing wickets and worse to follow when Dexter went for just four having his off stump knocked out the ground by RMJ who then immediately had Simpson fishing outside the off stumps and a nick gave a regulation catch to Prior. 78-5.
Another three day defeat threatened by a splendid knock by AC, kept company to the end by The Iceman saw us through to stumps at 122-5, Malan 55, Berg 10. All four results are possible on Saturday with the forecast not great, but if the rain stays away one of these two needs to be there through to the end if we have any chance of getting those remaining 121 to win.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:05:12:08:10:22 by BarmierKev.
At no point in this match was my confidence that Middlesex would win below 20%, although that partnership really swung that figure towards Middlesex.
Even if we find ourselves in the unenviable position of requiring 100+ to win with one wicket remaining, I still cling to hope of us winning, so at 121 to win with five wickets remaining I had lots of hope that we would win.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
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Also was the moaner the same one Kimmy encountered, I wonder?
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele