Beefy report in tent of fightback with intent.

Beefy reports on less boring day of dropped catches, caught catches, a chair collapse, an early collapse from the view of the hospitality area. 

A sparse crowd first thing, the overnight score 269-2 at close main contributor. Corey on fit, TRJ on for one over only.  Asked steward to confirm what they closed on he said 279-2 when current score was 277-2 and as I discussed this matter missed wicket as Javid caught behind off Corey, now 281-3 and we scrape a bonus point. The BP cut off score was 310-3..  At lunch 385-4 Chopra 150+

Lunch and to follow was hospitality one in tent courtesy of Ken PR winning a local paper competition. There were ex players John Price, Andy Needham, Nigel Ross, Dennis Marriot, Rajesh Maru to name a few. Some committee members and the local Mayor at another table all being very polite. I was eating cake and drinking tins of beer from fridge, while the posh table were having cheese from cheese board and drinking port. My crisis was my reporting notebook blew away and I could not write about the end of Warwickshire innings, so it’s now down to Kev.

Kev here.  This session was really a case of when declaration was going to occur and whether Chopra would reach career best. He scored 228 for Warks at Worcs and 233 in some Sri Lankan County game for the Tamils. He was dropped on 198 aagh.  The run rate was increasing and Ambrose was pushing score along. There was a horrible dropped catch in the deep and a very audible shout heard round the ground of “rubbish”.  There were 2 excellent catches a caught and bowled by Ollie and one by Voges in the deep.  I was very surprised when declaration occurred as it was hardly declaration batting and Chopra 228.  Surely he would want it written a career best at Uxbridge, maybe not. Thought he maybe annoyed with captain about the declaration. Oh he is the captain. The score was 486 -6, marginally over 3 an over, 10 overs before tea

Back with Beefy. Someone miraculously retrieved my notebook and I can report on Middx innings. Had a couple of refills, I needed them. Four wickets for four runs from 24-0 to 28-4 all caught off edges.. I said something to effect given there were dignitaries around “we are in the brown stuff”.   I texted *&!@$*! X3  to Kev . We survive hatrick ball and to tea 38-4.

I’m relaxed now as I put foot on chair but it breaks. Luckily no such collapses for the Middle.  50 partnership reached with ease, Voges reaches 50, although manual scoreboard shows it as 46. The tent empties I’m still there. There are lots of loud appeals, but the umpires are unmoved.   A lovely square cut by Voges brings up our 150. Soon after a delicate push for 2 from Simmo brings up his 50. "Well done Simmo" I shout.  More unsuccessful appealing and we survive to close 176-4.  Just hand over notes to Kev to make some sense of.

Kev here thanks Beefy it all makes perfect sense and well done not telling the mayor on what you told me last night and for restraint during that mad 10 minutes.