Pathetic Middlesex

By Jeremy Horne
August 16 2002

Middlesex’s batsmen will hang their heads in shame after an appalling performance saw them overwhelmed by Nottinghamshire. There was absolutely no excuse for undoubtedly the best batting team of the year to collapse twice on a pitch that Notts had racked up 470 on.

Middlesex began the final day on 180-3 requiring another 152 to make Nottinghamshire bat again, but an innings defeat loomed the early dismissals of Shah, Nash and Strauss. Ed Joyce provided some resistance, but it was never going to be enough as Middlesex slumped to their first Championship defeat of the season, losing by an innings and 73 runs.

It is no real shock that Middlesex were unable to win, as it seems that the team has a knack of performing badly towards the end of the season. Last Year, we lost three of out last five championship games, after being unbeaten before this period, and threw ourselves out of promotion contention. They say lightning never strikes twice, but we are now into the last five games of the year and after being unbeaten again, we have now lost our first game. The same thing occurred in 1998, when Middlesex looked on course to gain first division one-day status when the league was split at the end of the year. We even looked as if we could possibly win the title. However, 6 losses in our last seven games pushed us down to 12th and into the second division. Lets hope that 2002 isn’t a repeat of one of the above years.

Middlesex’s remaining games couldn’t be more crucial. We are playing all of our promotion rivals with Derbyshire next week, Worcestershire the week after. We then close the season with games against Essex and Derbyshire in September. As far as promotion goes it is vital that we win at least one of these games and draw another.

Nottinghamshire 1st innings: 470 (Pietersen 254*, Bicknell 108, Keegan 4-113)

Middlesex 1st innings: 138 (MacGill 6-54)

Middlesex 2nd innings: (following on)

Strauss b MacGill 110
Koenig c Smith b Logan 52
Hutton lbw b MacGill 0
Keegan c Gallian b MacGill 0
Shah c Read b MacGill 25
Nash c Welton b Harris 5
Joyce not out 41
Weekes c Welton b MacGill 8
Laraman b MacGill 5
Cook lbw b MacGill 0
Tufnell c Bicknell b MacGill 0

Extras 13

Total (all out, 67.4 overs) 259

MacGill 8-111 (career best figures)

Result: Nottinghamshire win by an innings and 73 runs
Points: Notts: 20, Middlesex 3