Dial M for Mayhem with bat and ball

Comebackgatt reports on day three from Guildford, a day for M & M, with Tim Murtagh picking up seven wickets and Maynard hitting a cracking hundred. Great fightback by the home team but two late wickets still make us the slight favourites. We also hear about his travel arrangements that took hom from Frankfurt to SW London to Guilford. Read on...

What busy lives we Middle reporters live. Wednesday night I was at the theatre in Frankfurt (and yes Kev they really do veggie frankfurters). Next morning flew back into Heathrow having decided that it would be better to stay with an ex neighbour in Mortlake then go back to Kent and travel to Guildford early next day. He told me he had bought two train tickets as he was coming too. He had not seen any live cricket for a while and was looking forward to it.  So we set off next morning to station, 8.37 cancelled but next train on time which gave us plenty of time to catch the 10.00am as recommended by Beefy. As we entered the ground the Surrey openers were walking to the wicket. We took our place in one of the “stands” and yes Kimmy you were right about the leg room.

Anyway, the sun is shining; the sky is blue, so fingers crossed, although the forecast is not great for this afternoon. It looks like a draw from here but 2-3 wickets before Lunch could make it interesting.

So it’s Harinath and Hamilton Brown to open the batting, Collymore and Finn the bowling. Pleased to see Finny get the new ball. Three slips, a gully and short leg set by Dex. Wicket.. it’s 8-1 with Harinath caught by Robbo in the gully, enter Ramps . I informed Clive a bit of the background as to why I never clap him in or out, but in before we know where we are the home skipper, Hamilton Brown, is trapped in front by Colly and it is 11-2. What a start, de Bruyn makes his way to the wicket, I confirm he was a Somerset player last year and he is in good nick at the moment. Ramps clips Hi Fi off his legs for the first boundary of the morning. Looks like the home team have decided to score their runs in boundaries as two more from Ramps and two from De Bruyn help them score 33 from just six overs. Whether they don’t think they are going to last long or the bowlers are getting tired I don’t know. Shortly afterwards Dex makes a double change with Crook and Dial M replacing Finn and Colly.

We decide to move so as to stretch our legs and have a wander. This seems to work for almost as soon as we find a new spot to watch  Crooky castles Ramps for 18 and it is 48-3, what a beauty.  Some of the home fans around stare at me as I celebrate, and then shaking of their heads as De Bruyn is caught and bowled by their old player Dial M. (64-4, De Bruyn 21) Clive is being to enjoy this and comments he must get out to watch more county cricket. I invite him to come and stay with me when we play at Canterbury. Then the disbelief and moaning from the home fans rise as Maynard is out without scoring, bowled off stump by Murtagh and it is 72-5. Clive reminds me that I had said to him “if we get three wickets before lunch I would be delighted”

Davies and Roy see the home team through to lunch with more fours at the interval Surrey were 103 -5 Davies 27, Roy 13. We both applaud the boys off and wander into the town to a little restaurant that Clive knows for a spot to eat. However, as we are about to leave Clive says” let’s knock that on the head and go over to the pub in case we miss something”  Good call mate.

Almost immediately after start of play the wickets tumbled with the last 5 wickets going for just ten runs. Davies caught by Robbo off Dial M for 27, Batty leg before to the same bowler two balls later for nought, Lindley bowled Collymore 0, Meaker caught by the skipper off Tim’s bowling 0, and finally Roy, who had batted quite well, was the last man out bowled by Colly 26.

All out 117 in just over 36 overs. A lead for the Middle of 191.

We discussed whether Dex would enforce the following on, I thought he should, the bowlers would not be too tired and let’s try and really push home the advantage. Come the answer, yes Surrey had been ask to follow on ( I love that phrase).

Harinath did not last long, being dismissed twice in a day in less than 40 overs when Jamie D held on to a catch off Stevie Finn’s bowling for 6, 11-1. Hamilton – Brown showed some defiance by hitting Finn for six.

Rather worryingly the clouds are beginning to build up but hopefully will blow away again although I noticed that the breeze had dropped.

Even more of a problem now, first Tim pulled up and has left the field and now joined on the crocked list by Colly!! Richard Scott fielding as 13^th man and the batsmen taking advantage as Crook and Dex not showing any threat HB and Ramps scoring 50 off ten overs. Perhaps we should have batted again!! This is going to be hard work. Poor old Crooky is hit for four successive 4’s by Hamilton – Brown, Jamie D is brought into attack. Some good news as Tim returns to the field and is ready to bowl. An excellent stand of 74 is broken when Tim traps Ramps for 21 leaving the home team 106 behind at 85-2.  MR did not agree with the decision and stood his ground for quite awhile ( not sure why)Then with tea almost on us, in fact the final over HB gets a leading edge to a ball from Finny and Robbo takes a fine catch diving forward from gully, Hamilton – Brown gone for 62.

Tea taken at 97-3. Few dodgy clouds gathering in the distance but fingers crossed. We get into a pleasant discussion with a Surrey member as whether defeat for his team will mean the end of their promotion hopes and I hope I was not counting too many chickens!

The first ball after tea found the edge of Maynard’s bat but Jamie D put down the chance. How costly would that be; only time would tell. Hopes of maybe a three day victory were raised again when Davies was caught behind for 5 off the bowling of Murtagh, his 7^th wicket of the day, and the home side were 114-4.

We were treated to an astonishing display of hitting by De Bruyn and Maynard as the Middle bowling were thrashed to all sides of the ground. The scoreboard rattled around. It was wonderful to watch even for a Middle fan but suddenly I started thinking “ hang on this is fun but if it keeps going too long it could turn tricky for us” The runs continued to flow whatever bowling changes Dex made. Finally it needed an incredible catch by Buck diving to his left to make a one handed catch to get rid of De Bruyn for 82 off the bowling of Jamie. He was out for 82 and the pair had put on 170 at over 5.00 an over. 284-5. That brought Roy to the wicket and the bowler struck an important blow shortly after when he bowled Roy behind his legs. Roy out for just three at 298-6. At the close they had moved on to 306-6 with Maynard 105 not out, his hundred coming from just 67 balls (2 x6’s and 16 x 4’s) a wonderful knock.

How important will those last two wickets be? Surrey scored an amazing 209 between tea and the close and lead by 117.  Batty is due in first thing and that could be the crunch partnership as there is not much after that. Something around 150-175 should be gettable.

Thoroughly enjoyable day.