Beefy Takes Some Comfort On Day Two

After Tuesday's deluge, the groundtaff were the stars of the show by getting play started at 10:30. Beefy tells us all about it. Well, not quite all - he seems to take a comfort break at the vital moment almost every time. He's to be chained to his seat Thursday while what's left of Middlesex is batting!! Many thanks to Beefy for this article and for his excellent pictures too.

After the deluge last night around West London(and probably further) i walked to the ground from the station expecting to see the covers on,and maybe an 11.30 start,to my surprise both teams out warming up,all covers removed bit of sawdust being applied but not the wicket in use.....................Well done Groundie and the crew for getting the ground ready for an on time start.

Groundie and the boys take a well-earned break

Looks more like a 3 day game with play being called off at 4pm yesterday,Derbyshire resume on overnight score of 72-1 with Butron finishing off the over,we get Iceman from Gatting Way End(GWE) 4 leg byes in the over and Murts takes over from Pav end,then London fields and stops the ball going past him with a parry and falls onto the ground with the Middx players rushing to check him and they urgently call the physio on.  Poor London goes off looking in a lot of pain, at the time he was holding his face, couldn’t work out whether he had face, shoulder or what the injury was,  Williams on as 12th man.  The ball comes in our direction being chased by Housego who is asked about London,' Dislocated Finger' he replies. Its his little finger, right hand and its put back into place and he goes off to Hillingdon Hospital for a precautionary x-ray.  Kabir Toor arrives as 13th man, was it an early morning call for him to get to the ground?

Derbyshire get the 100 on the board.

Kartik on for Iceman at GWE its the first bowling change and send down a good over,45 mins into the day the Derby players take a quick drinks break as the short leg fielder gets a helmet, Pav end Burton on for Murts and soon Madsen gets his 50 off 102 balls.

Its time i take a quick comfort break,and get a coffee ,with my record this season i will probably miss a wicket.Yep i did while chatting to Groundie in the Pav Burton clean bowls Park for 28,its 146-2.

We have the spin twins on now and noticing our over rate is on -3 at the moment,so we need to clear that off quickly, they both rattle through overs but me being me,i forget to check the over rate!Madsen hits a huge 6 off Kartik and goes to 86 no,another bowling replacement sees Shaggy replaced by Iceman at Pav end and Shaggy replaces Kartik at GWE.

Shaggy to Smith, who skies the ball to Burton who steadies himself, watches the ball and it comes safely into his hands and, and oh no! the ball is out and on the ground, end of over Burton turns away and kicks the ground.

Its lunch and Derbyshire are on 187-2,the lads walk off and Burton is one of the last to walk.PA announces a perambulation can take place, i was surprised as i thought after the rain that’s the last thing the outfield would need.

After lunch..............

The sun comes out, the breeze across the ground slow down, it’s a lovely day for cricket!

Derby reach 200-2 then Madsen gets his ton off 181 balls with 11 fours and 1 six.

Derby continue to put the runs on, so i decide its time for help. I text our Kimmy to start her telepathy " we need a kimmy wicket "

Iceman runs from in front of the scorers’ tent to by the beer tent to stop the ball from going over the rope, great fielding Iceman we call.

Its 240-2 Smith is 50 - nowhere is Kimmy’s telepathy? as runs are coming quick and fast after lunch Poor Burton sends an expensive over down ,then Iceman tries for a catch but goes down, and stays down.  Oh no, not another injury but the worry is over and he gets up, bit winded probably as he stays crouched down, i cancel my text to Kimmy to inform her.

It happens, a WICKET Smith bowled by Kartik for 62 ,its 271-3.Wavell Hinds comes in,i think there could be loads of runs here we get our first point.

London returns from hospital, right arm in a sling and it does look like he won’t be batting, unless he can do so one handed.

It could be the 3rd county game we only have 10 able to bat.

Madsen gets to 151 no and their score ticks on to 330-3,he also manages to send a ball into the car park but no smash so missed the cars!

Another WICKET Madsen is out(at last i think) Burton takes the wicket, caught by Housego for 167,score on 350-4 another point to Derby, another WICKET  Hinds c Simpson b Burton 28,3 wickets for Burton, forgiven for his drop earlier!

at tea its 371-5 question asked will they get to 400 and declare?, After tea they rattle up more and do reach 401 with the declaration.

The Middle start batting and are we already 1 down with London’s injury? as he walks around the rope in tracksuit so not looking good, Housego and Compo open for us, and already Malan and Dexter are padded up, hopefully not needed today.

3rd ball is sent down to Housego, appeal from fielders for LBW Willey gives him out so we are 0-1 or 0-2 and he walks off ,he is called back by the Derby players they show true Sportsmanship by saying that he hit the ball into the pads and he wasn’t out, the Derby team get applauded as does the Bowler Wagg when he comes to stand by the Pav.  Well done Derbyshire for how you called him back.  I haven’t seen that before, neither had anyone i was sitting with.

 Honourable Derbyshire lads, Wagg and (sub) Needham

Then, we do lose our first WICKET.As usual i miss it as I’m on a comfort break ,but i find out its Housego LBW for 4, Malan comes close to going soon after, but he is dropped the 1st,2nd and 3rd slip juggling the ball between themselves ,also off a no ball!

The Middle get 50 up with Compo looking good and with Burton padded up to be next in we have 5 overs to defend to end of days play.

Suddenly we see some guy near the scorers’ tent, who was chatting to Murts he is wearing a white hard hat from a building site and starts to play the harmonica(he isnt a building site worker),we attract them all is heard.

Malan is then run out in the last over for 21,and guess what???? I miss the fielding but was informed it was a fantastic run out.

Still 2 days to go to see how we get on.

Tomorrow I’m not moving to go anywhere at all, then i can’t miss a thing.