As Keen as Mustard
Super Bat
By Barmy Kev
April 22 2012
Kev reports on an exciting day at Lords in the company of a MTWD regular met for the 1st time and a Durham photographer trying to keep up. This was a day that could have ended in tears, then there was hope we could battle on for a draw and suddenly an unlikely victory is on.
The equation at start of day 4 was Middx 29 behind with a wicket down. We were in a similar position at Taunton and the batting capitulated. Travelling on a Sunday to Taunton I made it on time from London, yet I arrive at Lords 10 minutes late and enter the ground dreading what the score might be.
My worse fears were realised seeing scoreboard 26-2, with Robbo out evidently caught at slip. Runs were hard to come by with lots of playing and missing. The weather was fine and now looked like we would get full days play. I was relieved to see a glorious cover drive by Denly for 4. But still after 18 overs we were scoring at less then 2 an over. It’s getting really hot and I take my jumper off and for 1st time this season I'm wearing just a t shirt.
TRJ out playing his 1st attacking shot of day. A top edged hook. Ball in air ages, but still not long enough for our photographer to capture it.
Well here's the celebration
Matters got worse with Denly juggled caught behind by the Colonel (Mustard). AC got a nick and the diving Colonel takes a spectacular catch. Dexy does not look comfortable and before long another catch for the Colonel. Simmo and Rogers take us to lunch 91-6. Effectively 40-6. Time to get some wine to calm me down. As leaving I meet Chunky In Argyll. What a pleasure.
I certainly need some calming down after lunch. Bucko out 2nd ball after lunch followed by a Bergie duck the next over. 8 down, with less than 50 needed and glorious sunshine you can understand why there was pessimism. Although Durham fan 668 Neighbour of the Beast seemed less than optimistic as she was snapping away for MTWD.
This pessimism was understood as Dial M and Simmo batted confidently. No nervous moments as they were finding the boundary consistently. In no time 50 was put on. Suddenly there was talk of when we would declare. Some words of wisdom from Chunky suggesting Dial M opens the batting with Corey (I’ll let him explain how accurate my comment is and explain his logic when he is back in front of his PC). The 50 partnerships were met by ecstatic applause and my first chant of the day. “Only rain can save the Durham now”.
Match saving partnership
This was the proverbial kiss of death as Simmo and Dial M both out in their 40’s. They did enough to set a 130 run target take some time out of the game. Then rain was looming.
Durham batting for 2 overs and the light was closing in with score 8-0. There were off as quickly as you can say, "buy me a drink in Middlesex room "? There was a long break and others gave up any chance of play with only a few diehards hanging around. We discovered that the 2 overs we bowled before break our over rate went from -2 to 0. One less problem to worry about. Following Middlesex is not easy.
Suddenly the light improved and before you could say buy me another red wine a new scenario, players back on 122 needed off 16.2 overs. All 3 results are now possible, with Chunky not happy as he may be witnessing 20/20 like cricket (again Chunky can explain when back on his PC)
With 2 early wickets and Durham scoring quickly, anything possible. At 31-3 thought Durham would shut up shop, but no The Colenel promoted up the order and a boundary fest followed. The required rate of 8 an over seemed feasible with Di Venuto at other end scoring freely. It was clear Durham had positive intent. What a relief it was to see 3 quick wickets falling and run rate dropping. 4 wickets required with five overs left, the field changed to a 5-slip cordon. Then a catch at slip of Hi Fi’s bowling I was celebrating nobody else was. No ball given- aagh if only. This was final chance as everything that followed was successfully blocked. Hands were shaken with 3 balls left. Hang on a hatrick inbetween a run out off of a no ball. OK lets settle for a draw.
Lets call it a draw
In summing up without the weather interruption Durham would have been clear favourites and just after lunch it looked like an early depressed finish. Then again had we won the toss, who knows? Overall an entertaining day in excellent company and many positives for the Middle.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:04:24:19:07:13 by BarmierKev.
Thanks once again for the miniscule prize. It will be put to good use.
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
Great close-up photos with a good telephoto lens i presume,i look forward to more pics.
Thanks to kimmy for keeping me updated with texts as to what was happening.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:04:24:00:41:32 by lower pavilion.
Nice to finally meet some of you. I knew I'd recognise Kev without a problem, but for the first session I found myself looking at my fellow spectators wondering if they were fellow posters!
A few myths exploded- I thought 98 year old Seaxe Man would be wrapped up against the elements with half a dozen blankets round him and his carer in attendance. In fact he didn't look a day over- well I won't say incase I get it wrong. I thought 668 would be a balding 60 year old Geordie- Wrong!!! Jonathan-It was nice to say hello- from your description of yourself on your blogspot I thought I was looking for a yeti, or some sort of horrific hairy monster- infact you have a passing resembelance to Louis Theroux- and then Diamond- well I didn't expect that!
The advantage of a suit is you can take bits of it off if you go into the other stands but can't put it on if your not wearing it in the first place.
Although a fleeting meeting (due to work phone calls) nice to meet you and hope to see you at a few games,away at Durham for instance.
It felt strange when meeting 668, as I have known for some time that she used to be a steward at Lord's, where I remember her often saying hello to me. In addition that, I have read her posts on MTWD and Down by The Riverside, and am friends with her on Facebook, although I didn't previously know what she looked like. When I heard that she used to be a steward at Lord's, the thought crossed my mind that the steward and the poster were the same person, but I initially dismissed it. However, I learnt on Sunday they are indeed the same person.
The fact that Chris Rogers and Gareth Berg were out shortly after I met Chunky and 668 made it even more emotionally tough me for, although at least John Simpson and Tim Murtagh's partnership made up for it.
The person in the Grand stand who Lower Mound was speaking to both when Chunky first came up to me and just before the resumption of play after the prolonged tea break is a London-based Durham supporter, who sometimes comes to Middlesex matches. They first met during Durham's previous County Championship match at Lord's in 2006. As the supporter shouted out "come on the Colonel" during that match, Lower Mound tends to refer to him as 'the Colonel'.
The Colonel is of course the nickname of Phil Mustard, and he is one of four Durham players to have played in both the 2006 and 2012 matches, alongside Dale Benkenstein, Callum Thorp and Graham Onions, although two other players from the 2006 team are still at the club, namely Gordon Muchall Gareth Breese. By contrast, none of Middlesex's XII (we made a substitution during the match due to Jamie Dalrymple returning from a Test squad call-up) from the 2006 match played in the 2012 match, and indeed Eoin Morgan is the only member of the XII to still be at the club. Hopefully anyone attending the reverse fixure at Chester-le-Street beginning on Friday 27th July will get to see Moggy.