Its even stephen at Bristol

Big Harvey reports on a cracking day's play from Bristl. After surviving an difficult journey across the town, he reports on how the balance of power in this game swayed from one side to the other.a really good read...

I allowed myself an hour to get from where I live in Bristol to the ground. It shouldn't take an hour
or anything like that to get from one part of a city the size of Bristol to another, but Bristol has
almost certainly the worst public transport system in Europe, so it was a good thing I did. Every
time I get on Bristol buses, over which the hated First Group has a monopoly, I feel as if I've been
mugged. The journey from the City Centre through Stokes Croft and up the Gloucester Road
towards the County Ground is conducted so slowly that even when there's negligible traffic, it's
barely any quicker than walking. The bus simply sits longer at every stop to compensate for the
time it's made up by not having to sit in a jam.

I made it with 3 minutes to spare, and took my place on The Hammond Roof, located in the
Members' Area of what must surely be a candidate for the title of “County Cricket's Ugliest Ground
That Isn't The Redeveloped Old Trafford.”

Middlesex were starting on a very promising 297/4 in reply to Gloucestershire's first innings total of
358, with nightwatchman TRJ on 10, and Dex on 56.

The opening overs were bowled by Hamish Marshall and the spinner Kane Williamson, presumably
for no other reason than there were a few overs to be used up before the new ball. The first
boundary of the morning came from an elegant square cut by Dex off Marshall.

Norwell replaced Williamson for the 79th over of the innings. Perhaps the plan was to purge him of
any gremlins before the new ball, since his first 3 deliveries were wild bouncers, the last of which
was called “no-ball,” and why the others weren't called as wides, only the umpire knows.

TRJ played Lewis's first over with the new ball watchfully, but in the next over at the other end,
Norwell, whose gremlins had presumably been successfully purged, sneaked one through his
defences hitting middle and off. He departed for 16.

316/5.

Lewis had looked fairly innocuous, with the batsman being able to leave him outside the off-stump
most of the time. However Lewis will often bowl a succession of deliveries pitching on or just
outside off-stump that move away from the batsman and can be left to sail harmlessly through to the
wicket keeper, followed by one that will pitch in exactly the same place and (if you leave it) will
go straight on and send your off-stump cartwheeling half way to what used to be Bristol Rovers old
ground in Eastville. This was something Dex (72) found out the hard way, and at 322/6, Middlesex
had a storm to weather.

Norwell, bowling at a brisk pace took the outside edge of the Iceman's bat, only for it to pass
between keeper and 1st slip for 4. In the next over however, the keeper (Batty) made no mistake
when he gloved one from Lewis that lifted off a length to depart for 5.

330/7.

Ollie Rayner's response was to go on the offensive, but Simmo (5) joined the procession, another
victim for the keeper, Batty, who took the catch brilliantly, diving in front of first slip. 343/8, and an
innings that had promised so much was petering out. With Lewis bowling superbly, would we even
get a lead?

Murtagh was able to ride his luck though and kept Rayner company for a useful partnership. He was
given a life when dropped at first slip by Alex Gidman off his brother Will Gidman's bowling.

A fine pull around the corner from Rayner off Norwell took Middlesex onto 360 and into the lead,
which brought the Sun out right on cue.

Rayner's 50 (or 53 to be precise) was brought up by an all-run 4 to the long boundary at cow corner.
It was scored at the rate of a run-a-ball.

Murts finally fell for 11, caught by Alex Gidman at short mid-wicket off Marshall, but it had
been a very useful partnership. At 395/9, Middlesex only needed one more to secure maximum
batting points, which an edge from Collymore to the boundary and a quick single from Rayner duly
secured. They survived until lunch, having posted 406/9.

Lewis trapped Rayner (54) LBW in his first over after lunch without either he or Middlesex adding
to their lunchtime score, thus deservedly securing a 5-wicket haul. So a lead of 48 it was.

Colly opened the bowling with TRJ. The latter in his second over rapped Marshall on the glove,
damaging his hand sufficiently for him to retire hurt a few balls later, having scored 9 runs.

Gloucestershire were scoring quickly though, if sometimes streakily, and overhauled Middlesex's
lead without losing a wicket inside 10 overs. Captain Dex stuck to his attacking field placings
though, and was rewarded with the wicket of Coughtrie (8), who got in a mess to a short one from
Colly, gloving it to Iceman at 3rd slip. 54/1.

Williamson followed next over , trapped LBW by Murtagh for 0.

57/2.

Gloucestershire continued to score at breakneck speed, and it was good to see both sides attacking.
The dismissal of Alex Gidman, caught behind by Simmo off the bowling of Murts for 10 put
Gloucestershire in real trouble however at 77/3, only 29 ahead of Middlesex's total.

This finally put the brakes on the scoring quite considerably, but even so, when Cockbain's 50 came
up, it had still only taken 52 balls!

With both the Iceman and Murts beating the bat regularly, it looked as if another wicket could come
at any time, but Batty and Cockbain somehow made it through until tea on 14 and 70 respectively,
with Gloucestershire on 118/3.

It was a surprise when TRJ was brought straight on after tea, since in the spell he bowled before tea,
he'd looked rather tired and jaded. He'd found a new spring in his step from somewhere though, and
his 5th ball after tea produced the vital wicket of Cockbain LBW for 72.

120/4.

When shortly afterwards at the other end, the Iceman, carrying on where he left off before tea,
nailed Batty (20) LBW for a deserved wicket, Gloucestershire were really looking down the barrel
at 128/5. It may even have been effectively 6, since it was unclear whether Marshall would be able
to bat with the injury to his hand.

This brought Taylor to the crease, along with a runner. Extensive delays followed to allow the

groundstaff to paint lines on adjacent pitches for the runner to use. Why they couldn't have done
this during the interval I really don't know.

It quickly became obvious that despite his injury, Taylor's movements were not restricted enough
to stop him batting. He and Will Gidman really took the fight to Middlesex. The latter rode his luck
somewhat, but Taylor was majestic. His 50 came off 68 balls, featured six fours and a huge six off
Rayner over cow corner, easily clearing the longest boundary. It was not swashbuckling, just good,
sensible, chanceless batting.

Cloud began to build, and conditions began to look more favourable for bowling, but Taylor
stood firm. During the last hour, near silence had descended on the crowd. It was not the silence
of boredom, or everyone having gone home, but a silence induced by the gripping tension of the
situation, and the near hypnotic quality of the epic battle taking place in front of us. Even what
conversation was taking place was happening in whispers.

By the time Rayner was given the task of bowling the final over in the gathering gloom, the
batsmen had succeeded in spreading the field. However for the final over, close catchers were sent
in to crowd the bat. The final ball beat everyone and went for a bye, with a very rude word shouted
in frustration by the bowler, and the players left the pitch to a well-deserved standing ovation, with
Gloucestershire on 218/5 (a lead of 170), with Taylor on 60 and Will Gidman on 25, an unbroken
partnership of 90.

What a wonderful day's cricket! Disappointing in some ways for Middlesex, yes, but sometimes
you just have to give credit where it's due. This game (weather permitting) is still very much alive,
and can go either way, but it can now go our way only if we get early wickets.