Middlesex Steal Back
Wonderful opening burst
By Dingy Bags
April 26 2010
Dingy Bags reports from Wantage Road on our first match in the new 40 over league. It is a winning srtart and we hear all about the day's play plus a noisy home supporter plus the strange case of Kev's bracklet. Read on...
It was a much-changed and unfamiliar Middlesex line-up that took on our conquerors of the previous day, in this new competition, the once-again re-vamped 40 overs league/cup.
Northants clearly enjoyed the track from the 4 day game because they used it again today and decided to bat on it on winning the toss. It is always interesting to see new players but three at once – Davey, Smith and Roland-Jones – suggested a clear lack of experience. The side seemed long on all-rounders but a little short on batting. Ace was reputed to be just docking on an aircraft carrier: a really dedicated Panther would have asked a Harrier pilot to land him on the outfield and gone out and smashed a hundred.
But he was hardly missed, as we shall see.I took up position at the indoor school end, among a reasonable posse of Middle men. The umpires appeared, Nigel Cowley and John Evans in these hideous jacket/tops which are part dark blue but lime-green across the chest and down the arms. The best suggestion of what they looked like was Asda security men (or toilet attendants).
Security men at Asdas moonlighting as umpires
We didn’t have long to wait to start making our presence felt: Peters was rapidly lbw to O’Brien (only about 180 runs too late) who then had Wakely caught behind. Soon after, the dangerous-looking Hall chipped to Berg at extra and we had them 31-3. Strangely, most of the runs were coming from O’Brien, while Dial M was bowling beautifully but wicketlessly.There followed excellent spells from Berg and the strapping Roland-Jones, the latter hitting both Sales and White with his pace and lift.
Wickets kept falling and hereabouts was the best catch of the day, Kev getting his bracelet tangled in his belt in the nineteenth over!Tom Smith (interesting selection, we like two spinners in our one-day side) bowled with intelligent variety and impressive control and he took his first wicket for the club when he bowled Boje. Udal accounted for Middlebrook and Harrison in one over (the 22nd of the innings) and soon after, Toby R-J followed Smith’s lead when Sales skied him to Tim Murtagh who caught the ball cleanly despite a rather comic stumbling performance afterwards. Sales was the only Northants batsman to trouble us – and we’ve been there before with this county side.Dial M made sure that all six of our bowlers got wickets when Toby R-J returned the compliment and took an outfield catch as Tim returned for a second spell.
Funny game cricket: he’d gone without a wicket as OB made initial inroads and now got one with the first ball of his second spell.146 was a very sub-standard score but no one was counting chickens, given the events of Saturday.
But Newman got the innings off to a quick start, Strauss kept the momentum going when Newman left and there was time for Davey to show some nice shots (a classic extra-cover drive especially) before he got out.
Closing in on our target
Most of the noise in the ground was coming from our sector but one Steelbacks supporter did his utmost to encourage the home side in the field. On the midwicket/backward point boundary, a constant stream (and I mean constant) of advice, abuse and commentary was kept up for 20 overs or so by a figure who looked like Carlton Palmer on stilts. When occasionally, a Middlesex batsman played and missed (usually from Hall, the best bowler on the home side) his body distorted in almost physical pain. He clearly was more desperate for a home win than the players.But even he shut up during the last ten overs – and went and sat with the groundstaff.
Spot the loony?
Because, Malan and Berg took us to the victory target with sensible batting, cautious at first but increasingly aggressive. One reverse sweep from Malan off Boje was particularly memorable.So we won, a huge relief to us all. We won four days out of five at this ground and it was no mean feat to pick ourselves up after Saturday’s events, especially as we were sent into the field.
High moment of the day? Simmo’s legside stumping from Shaggy’s bowling, showing how his keeping is improving markedly.
Low moment of the day? Newman’s attempt to catch Sales on the midwicket boundary: instead of getting behind it, he tried to take it sideways. It went for six and Sales went to his fifty.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:05:04:10:49:14 by BarmierKev.
However, Darren reckoned he was on the line and checked that, so IHO, Newman would have stepped over even if taking the catch.
2007: Northamptonshire 148 all out in 35.3 overs, Middlesex - needing to bat cautiously rather than explosively to win - reach their target four wickets down and with 22 balls to spare
Yesterday: Northamptonshire 146 all out in 35.4 overs, Middlesex - needing to bat cautiously rather than explosively to win - reach their target three wickets down and with 45 balls to spare
It is primarily the need to bat cautiously that brought me in mind of the 2007 match, although the scores were similar too.
Yesterday's match was clearly the heavier of the two wins as we bowled them out for two less runs, took 23 less balls to reach our target and did so with less wickets down.
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)
Back to yesterday, would agree our position not ideal for seeing Newman's missed "catch". I was clearly able to see a missed run out chance early on at Worcs , plus a terrible misfield that lead to 4 runs. Evidently, two were missedby him one a dolly Day 4 at Northants. It was noted Scott was put in key fielding positions throughout game yesterday when its clear he is a liability in the field.
However, there were far more many positives, especially with performance of our 3 debutants.
I'm also hoping to download some pictures soon to enhance Dingy Bags excellent report.
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
Sad I missed it... but I have to work (BOO!)
Kimmy
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele