Groundhog Day
Harrison takes Five
By Seaxe Man
April 17 2010
Seaxe Man reports from Lord's on day two of the match against Glamorgan. After a musical start to his day, things were not so on song for Middlesex on the field. As ever Seaxe Man gives a detailed report from headquarters as events followed closely those at New Road last week.
Overnight Glamorgan 309 for 9. Wallace 73no Waters 5no. Weather cloudy, though the promised sunny spells did turn up later. Light roller only between innings.
Overheard a few lads on the Met last night discussing IPL wicketkeepers. Assumed they meant Gilly. Wrong. They were chatting about Brendan McCullum. Asked if they were doing any of the Lord's T20 games. They weren’t sure. When I mentioned that the 'Pocket Rocket' had signed for us, they became more interested. Had a bloke bellowing 'Auld Lang Syne' followed by the 'Marseille' and then 'Deutschland Uber Alles' down a mobile phone on the Met down, to start the day on a musical note.
1st session There was a delay as the umpires had forgot the ball. When this was retrieved we got underway. Middlesex were led out by their captain Andrew Strauss according to the announcer. There were some mistakes on the scoreboard throughout the day as well. Wallace took two from the first ball from Murts. 2nd ball, 2nd over, Walters taken at short-leg off Finn. Glammy 315ao. Wickets shared around. Murts 2, Finn 2, Berg 3, IOB 1, Malan 1.
Spoke to lower pavilion who was adorned in his MTWD sweatshirt which he said had just been washed. Very smart it looked too. Strauss and Newman opened in the day's 3rd over. Newman took first strike. Harris from PE. Newman found a gap between slip and gully to open his account with a 4. Harrison opened from NE. Strauss pulled to leg to get off the mark. Newman on drove for 3, this was just pulled back from UBX boundary rope. The Glammy seam bowlers were exploiting the ' corridor of uncertainty' outside off stump to some purpose. They eventually found Newman's edge and Cosgrove took a diving catch at slip which he held onto at the 2nd attempt. 11 for 1. Newman 7. Robson was taken off his thigh pad at the wk 1st ball amid wild celebrations. Turned down.
Under cloudy skies, batting looked far from easy and the Glamorgan bowlers bowled a fuller length than we did. Push by Strauss through midwicket for 1. Fierce cut by Strauss outside off stump for 4. Followed by a magnificent off driven 4 by AJS. Robson was then yorked by Harrison. lbw for 0. 21 for 2. So not the start we hoped for. Dawid emerged and opened his account with a cut/driven 4 through point. He then edged through slips for 4, but along the deck. 12 over’s gone. Waters spelled Harrison at PE. Strauss made a superb on drive for 4 off Harrison. Then tickled off his legs for another. A second spurious appeal against Strauss turned down. 3 off next ball.
Harris switched to NE. An on drive by Strauss brought up Middle's 50. A further delicious straight drive to the Pav steps , took his score to 39. A third spurious appeal, this time against Malan followed. Turned down. Just as things were looking up, Malan was bowled by a full length ball for 17. 71 for 3. Enter Adam London. No run out’s please. Strauss then followed Malan, being bowled by a full length ball for 44 by Allenby. Shown by the scoreboard as lbw. 72 for 4. Things ain't looking too good.
Lunch 72 for 4.
All 4 wickets had fallen at the Pav End. Lower pav reported that a Glamorgan fielder had remarked to him, that the ball moved around all day yesterday, but he felt we bowled too short. A torrid session for The Middle.
Second session
London and Simpson came out. Memories from Vine Lane last year. London marked his card with an off driven four. The lack of partnerships continued with London bowled for 6, again from a full length ball from Harrison. 80 for 5. The innings seemed to be following the pattern of a boundary followed by a wicket. Crashing off drive by Simpson. We seem to be dealing in boundaries but not enough of them and singles to rotate the strike. Berg announced his arrival with a crashing off drive for 4. Shot of the day. We need a lot more of them. Harrison switched to NE. Iceman tucked another ball off his legs for 4. He then found a gap through the slips for a further boundary. Another full pitched delivery did for Bergie next ball. lbw, 103 for 6, Bergie 14. Another 4 for Simpson. Field 3 slips, point, mid on, mid off, plus square and fine leg, long on. Pretty much the same since innings start.
The Middle's batsmen were very much on the back foot. Another 4 for Simpson. Shaggy got off the mark with a pushed single. A great off drive by Shaggy was cut off. No run. He followed this with an edged 4. Nice one Shaggy. We will take what we can get. Push onside for 1. 124 for 6. 40th over. Another 4, Simpson, benefit of doubt, turned wrists to find gap between point and third slip. Followed by a crashing pull through mid wicket. Allenby returned at NE. Pulled 4, Simpson. 4 leg byes and furious appeals for lbw. PE Cosker. Spin at last.
Time 14.55. 42 overs. Field, one slip, short leg, the rest spread out. Things looked up briefly until Simpson decided to go down on one knee to sweep Cosker, missed and paid the price. 141 for 7. Simpson lbw 32. Murts entered, found gap to open account with a four. Shaggy advanced down the wicket to loft Cosker for 4 and our 150. Shout for lb next ball. Turned down. But the next appeal was granted. 153 for 8. Shaggy a cameo 15. PE Harrison returned to deal with the tail. IOB. ca 8.89, best 44. if only.... Another boundary, Murts pulls Harrison through sq leg for 4. IOB taken behind for 0. 160 for 9. 6 to avoid follow on though I doubted they would enforce it. Cosgrove took low catch to wrap up the innings. 160ao. Harrison c/b figures of 5 for 62.
Tea.
Third session. As expected, Glammy did not enforce the follow on. Murts opened from NE. to Rees. A quiet opening, a low edge which some thought carried, got past Malan for the opening score. We were now basking in sunshine, Cosgrove had his helmet clattered by Finn. After seeming to be ok, he then showed signs that all was not well and he departed retired hurt.
Long delay. Shortly after, a catch from Finny was offered to 3rd man, but although Murts got to it, his fall to the ground jarred it loose. Rees continued playing and missing as he had in the first knock. A quiet period ensued. 41 for 0. 14 overs. Another delay. Powell hit in a tender area. the wicket at this point looked flat in comparison to the minefeld of the first session
. 50 up 17 overs. Rees 15 Powell 17. At this point suddenly Middlesex regained their shape and grasped the initiative. Rees finally edged one to Malan at slip off Berg. 57 for 1. Rees 20. The mood of the aficianos, previously downbeat, suddenly rose in expectation. Glammy 222 for 1 overall. The next wicket fell to IOB, though the scoreboard reckoned it was Murtagh. 72 for 2. Dalrymple c Malan b Berg for 0. 73 for 3.
An edge from Allenby didn’t carry. Bowler Finn. A driven four by Allenby brought up Glamorgan's 100 in the 29th over. Allenby lbw Finn for 15. 101 for 4. Captain Udal, first clonked his ankle at Grandstand boundary saving a four, then cut off a drive at mid on with a full length dive. Whether this caused Powell to play on for 47 shortly after, only he knows. Since Glammy were 50 for 0, Middlesex had bowled better and discovered their shape. A seamers pitch. Finally, Harris lbw Murtagh. 117 for 6. Close.
Summation.
Well we lost the first two sessions by a distance. However, signs of recovery were evident in the third sesh, which undoubtedly was ours. The deficit stands at 272 effectively for 6. As to whether we have conceded too big a deficit on the first innings as in the Worcs game remains to be seen. There is plenty of time left in the match, but the remaining 4 wickets, it maybe 3 if Cosgrove cannot continue, will need to be taken quickly. In addition, a chase of maybe 300 odd over 5+ sessions will require large contributions from the experienced batters to get near. A long shot but stranger things have happened.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:04:20:18:59:14 by BarmierKev.
They gave it to Dawid to carry onto the pitch but he thought it was a practice ball so it ended up in the MCCC dressing room. Murts got to the end of his run and asked for the ball.
It was then recovered from the pav and, to be fair, the umpires had a good look at it before chucking it to Murts.
As much as I like Ben Scott and have a belief that he is one of the best wicket keepers in the country, I can't see John Simpson losing his place as he has done OK with the bat.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)