Toby Roly Coaster Ride

 "Rogers and Not Out" decribes how the first day of our season unfolded.   This detail you are very unlikely to find from other Cricket information sources.

An uneventful journey via London Midland dispatched me into Nottingham station at 10 o’clock, in time to meet my fellow Ruislipian Chris, who had taken the scenic but cheaper route via Grantham.

We took a stroll to Trent Bridge to discover that Middlesex had won the toss and elected to insert the hosts.  As it transpired, all other toss winners today put the opposition in to bat as well. From our lofty perch in the upper echelons of the Radcliffe Road stand, it looked a sensible decision as there was a distinct green tinge to the pitch.

Tim Murtagh bowled the first over from the Radcliffe Road end and very eventful it was too. After Alex Hales had edged the third ball through the slips for three, Ed Cowan came to the crease and after cutting Murts for four, he then thumped two cover drives to the boundary making a total of 15 from that first over.

James Harris kicked off his Middlesex first class career from the Pavilion end. His first over was quite accurate, but both he and Murts did bowl the odd loose delivery, and, with the very short west side boundary, Hales and Cowan in particular took advantage to rattle the score along towards a 50 partnership.

Roland-Jones replaced Harris at the Pavilion end and immediately started with a maiden. In his next over, he had Hales caught at first slip by Malan, and next ball, Lumb was adjudged LBW. James Taylor avoided the hat trick, but Notts had been reduced to 51-2.

Cowan, however, carried on serenely, although he did play quite watchfully, particularly during Harris’s second spell. Notts took lunch on 95-2, with Cowan unbeaten on 60.

He was to add just a single to that score when he clipped a Ro-Jo delivery to square leg, where Berg dived to take a very good catch. Samit Patel then entered the fray and batted in customary fashion – a combination of authentic shots coupled with a few edges. He made 36 before fending a short Roland-Jones leg side delivery to Simmo, leaving Notts on 158-4.

Taylor was not at his fluent best and with new partner Wessels, put on 46 runs. In that time, Berg put down a very sharp caught and bowled chance off Wessels and Murts missed a close range shy at the stumps after a mix up between the two batsmen.

Taylor eventually perished at the hands of Dexter, whom he edged to Robson in the gully for a hard fought 55. Captain Read then came in with the score at 204-5, but Wessels was the next to go, run out going for a third run, Simmo dislodging the bails to remove him for 30.

Toby then took his fifth wicket, having Shahzad caught behind for 4, leaving Notts on 240-7. Andre Adams then hit some lusty blows before holing out in the deep for 14, Rogers taking the catch off Murtagh.  Murts took a second wicket his perserverance deserved when Fletcher edged him to Malan for 14.

With the score on 278-9, Read, who had batted well for 34, was caught by Dexter off the excellent Roland –Jones and the innings closed. We were left to negotiate two overs. Rogers survived a big LBW shout in the first over and Robson dispatched Shahzad for three boundaries in the last over, with us closing on 12-0.

Overall, an excellent day’s cricket. A good crowd on a cold but sunny day saw a superb exhibition of bowling from Roland-Jones (6-63) and some good battting by Cowan and gritty performances from Taylor and Read. Tim Murtagh will have better days, but he came back well to return figures of 2-86 from 24 overs. Harris bowled well without luck for his 0-39, Berg kept things tight and Dexter chipped in with the important wicket of Taylor. Rayner bowled 7 overs for 28, but it didn’t really happen for him today. A final word on the fielding – very good, particularly on the boundary by Murtagh and Denly and an able display behind the stumps by Simpson.