Herring Not in a Pickle. Howell's that?

Rogers and Out gives a detailed account of another Middlesex 20/20 defeat. This report contains a MTWD health and safety warning. Read on at your own risk.

Our first away game in this season’s T20 saw us register a disappointing defeat to Gloucestershire by five wickets with fifteen balls to spare on a chilly, damp evening in Bristol. Whilst losing the toss in difficult conditions was undoubtedly a factor in our demise, we were, once again, careless in our shot selection, and some excellent fielding and catching by Gloucester meant our bowlers were left with a mountain that they could not climb.

In order to save a day’s holiday, I drove to Bristol from my workplace in Reading and stayed in a hotel several miles north of the city, in a place called Bradley Stoke. The bus journey  to town seemed  to take longer than it should have, and after 10 minutes, I was perturbed to see a sign saying ‘Welcome to Bradley Stoke’.

I eventually arrived in the vicinity of Nevil Road and adjourned for a quick couple of pints of Bath Ale in The Wellington, which was quite near the Memorial Stadium, home to Bristol RFC and Bristol Rovers FC.

The weather on the way over to Bristol had been quite dismal for nearly all the journey, so it was no surprise that the start of the game had been delayed until 6 o’clock. It was then that I remembered that, in spite of the ground improvements at Bristol, there were no floodlights, but the locals seemed confident that the full game could be fitted in within the remaining daylight.

Surprise choice of captain Dan Christian’s first act was to sadly lose the toss, and, in truth, the writing was on the wall for us from that point onwards. James Fuller opened the bowling for the hosts from the Ashley Down Road end and Stirlo pulled his first ball to the boundary for four. However, three balls later, he was adjudged LBW despite getting quite far forward and we were 4/1.

Joe Denly was next man in, fresh from his good knock against Northants. He hit consecutive boundaries off Fuller in the third over, before attempting one shot too many next ball and he skied a catch to Graeme McCarter at long off, and was out for 9 with Middlesex on 19/2.

In the next over, bowled by Liam Norwell from the Bristol Pavilion end, Mala repeated Stirlo’s act from the Sussex game by dispatching three consecutive balls to the boundary before miscuing aerially to Hamish Marshall at midwicket. AC had made 18 and we were now 32/3.

Captain Christian and ex-captain Dex were now at the crease and Mr. Christian was doggedly trying to keep us in the hunt, with run scoring being at a premium. Ex Middlesex man Tom Smith came in to bowl from the Bristol Pavilion end, and he was very tidy indeed. In fact, he clean bowled Dex in that first over for 7.

After Dan Christian hit a big straight six in the ninth over, Adam Rossington was a trifle unfortunate in the next over to see his lusty cut excellently taken in the gully by Alex Gidman off the bowling of Graeme McCarter, leaving us in peril on 59/5.

Worse was to follow as Christian attempted to up the ante but only managed to find Dent at mid off, giving Norwell another wicket. The captain had scored 18 runs from 29 balls and we were on the brink at 67/6.

Ollie and Simmo were left to try to salvage something from the wreckage, and after Ollie survived a big LBW shout from the Seaford Plumber, they both batted stoicly in order to set some kind of target. They had put on 32 runs, when Michael Klinger took a sensational catch in the covers to remove Ollie from the bowling of Norwell.  The fielding of the West Country men had been excellent throughout, with Hamish Marshall in particular catching the eye.

We were now 99/7 in the 18th over, and despite the best efforts of Simmo, Harry and Finny, we closed on 111/8. Nowhere near enough, you would think, but there was hope that perhaps Hi Fi could give them problems in the deepening gloom.

Finny opened the bowling from the Bristol Pavilion end and despite one no ball, batting looked really difficult in the darkness for Gloucester. It was no surprise, therefore, when Corporal Klinger nicked one to Rosso, who had been nominated glovesman despite the presence of Simmo.

James Harris took the second over from the Ashley Down Road end and commenced with a wide. Chris Dent then hit him for consecutive boundaries, the first pushed through cover then clipping a fine shot through square leg. Sadly, he did not suffer the Middlesex malaise so did not gift his wicket to us next ball.

Finny was still bowling with menace but new batsman Alex Gidman hit a sumptuous straight drive off him to the boundary . Harry managed to induce a poor shot from Gidman in the next over, and Joe Denly took a simple catch in the leg side to leave Gloucester on 22/2.

Captain Christian kept Finny on for a third over in the hope of some more wickets, but Dent looked in good form and dispatched a lofted drive and a square cut for four runs apiece. Our total was really looking even more inadequate than before.

It was a surprise when, in the seventh over, Dent pulled Dex to Stirlo on the square leg boundary for 24, leaving our hosts on 47/3. Our nemesis Hamish Marshall was now at the crease and run scoring looked easier for the home side than it had been for us. Our cause wasn’t helped by the captain dropping Ian Cockbain at mid off from Dex’s bowling and it looked like Ravi put down a tough caught and bowled chance as well, but my eyes may have deceived me with that one.

Ollie bowled just one over and Ravi his full allocation, but it just didn’t happen for either spinner. Cockbain had reached 18 when he cut a James Harris delivery to Simmo at point (a collector’s item that one), but Gloucester were nearly home at 85/4, with more than five overs to go.

Hi Fi came back to bowl his last and our 15th over, giving us a very small glimmer of hope by having Marshall taken behind by Rosso, and Gloucester were 87/5. However, this brought Cameron Herring to the crease, and combined with Benny Howell, Gloucester eased to victory thanks to some fine shots by both players, leaving a wide choice of fishy puns for Kev to use as the headline.

I had a quick beverage in the Annexe Inn in Seymour Road before heading back to my hotel. My bus’s destination was the wonderfully named Cribbs Causeway and one other small piece of happiness occurred when the bus driver refunded me fifty pence on my fare due to some kind of special offer. Needless to say, I shan’t be investing it in our chances of reaching T20 finals day.