From Bad to Worse

Big Harvey reports on a long journey up for a depressing day for Middx. We hear about the sounds of the birds that sum it all up.

I booked my accommodation over the internet last week only to immediately make the disappointing discovery that there was no train service early enough get me from my home in Bristol to Chester-le-Street in time for the start. I would have to drive. I left the house at 4.40 am, succeeded in beating the start of the infamous Black Country rush hour traffic, and after a leisurely caffeine break at Wetherby Services made it to The Riverside in bright sunshine with 45 minutes to spare.

It started OK with Murtts first wicket

Things were not looking good, with Durham on an ominous 411/4. Borthwick was undefeated on 164, with the night watchman, Mark Wood yet to get off the mark. Looking at the pitch - from a distance admittedly - there was no obvious sign of green, and those who were here yesterday said the weather had been good for batting and could see no reason why the decision had been made to insert Durham after winning the toss.

Murts and Finny began the proceedings for Middlesex, the former bowling accurately. A good deal better than his display yesterday, I was reliably informed. It was Murts who made the early breakthrough, as Wood (9) pulled a good length ball straight to Denly at mid wicket. Not that I realised straight away what had happened, such was the total lack of reaction or celebration from the Middlesex team. Now I know he was only the night watchman and Durham already had lots of runs, but on a good batting pitch like this one, any score under about 500 ought to have given us at least a chance of getting a 1^st innings lead. At 422/5 getting them out for a score like that looked at least a possibility. Come on boys, celebrate and enjoy your successes, however small!

Instead, heads remained bowed, and Collingwood and Borthwick continued the aggressive approach of Day 1. The former played in the typically inelegant but effective manner that has served him so well over the years, aided by some fairly wayward stuff by Finny, including a 6 over backward square off the rankest of leg side long-hops. By the time Collingwood (36) scooped a slower ball from TRJ straight to Murts at mid on, his partnership with Borthwick had added 71 runs. 493/6.

Borthwick was still in the nervous 190s, and had been troubled a couple of times by Ravi Patel, but brought up his 200 in the next over, edging a delivery from the latter just wide of slip.

Muchall (1) was next to fall, LBW to a pitched-up TRJ delivery that had a bit more zip than had been present before the Collingwood dismissal. 497/7.

Lunch was approaching, but there was no let-up in Durham's attacking approach, as a Ravi Patel over went for 14 runs including 4 boundaries, 2 from Borthwick and one off a Mustard switch-hit.

Borthwick's attempt to continue the pre-Lunch assault against the rejuvenated TRJ proved to be his downfall, a huge agricultural heave going into orbit but eventually landing in the hands of AC, barely off the cut strip. He had made a magnificent, highly disciplined 216, and Durham 520/8. Lunch was taken at 525/8.

Despite conditions that were now distinctly overcast and looking ideal for swing bowling, Middlesex resumed with the spin of Ravi Patel.

The black cloud over the notoriously spooky Lumley Castle looked as if it could give rise to forks of lightning and cartoon bats with eerie eyes and vampire fangs at any time, but for the time being any horror was strictly confined to the pitch, where Hastings laid into Ravi Patel, despatching him for a huge 6 over long on. Stirling replaced Ravi for the next over from that end, but Hastings gave his third delivery exactly the same treatment!

When Mustard (18) finally holed out, offering a skier to Murts at mid on off TRJ, Durham declared on 568/9, with Hastings the not out batsman on 38. Another 5 wicket haul for “The Hyphenated Hurricane,” who turned in figures of 5-103 was about the only good news of the entire game so far for Middlesex.

The conditions of heavy cloud cover to be faced by Middlesex's openers were very different from those faced by Durham's, and despite the fact that Durham were not in a position to raise the spectre of the injured Graham Onions to haunt us today, the horror story continued with our captain Chris Rogers (1) losing his middle stump to what may have been a quicker one from Hastings while attempting to shoulder arms. 7/1.

Light rain began to fall, which seemed to partly negate the early swing for a while, but it was still not easy for Robbo or AC, with both Rushworth and Hastings finding a consistent line and length, and producing close calls. Once the rain stopped and the ball dried it was soon hooping round corners. Wood replaced Hastings, a change which produced instant results, an excellent delivery to Robbo (24) finding a thick edge taken by the keeper, Mustard. 38/2.

AC (10) quickly followed, a thick edge off another lovely Wood delivery offering a sharp chance which was snapped up by Richardson at 3^rd slip. 39/3.

Dex (3) soon followed, also caught by Richardson at 3^rd slip, this time off Stokes, a widish out-swinger that he maybe ought to have left. 45/4.

To add to the menacing atmosphere, carrion-loving birds could be seen and heard noisily gathering in and around the stands, as if to feast on the carnage of the Middlesex innings. Ravens, jackdaws, and even a solitary magpie. One for sorrow.

Light rain once again seemed to negate the swing however, and eventually got heavy enough to force an early Tea with Middlesex having limped to 68/4.

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, but Incy Wincy Spider had barely finished climbing up the spout again when the players were once again sent scampering back to the sanctuary of the Pavilion by another heavy and persistent downpour. With only 5 deliveries of the final session bowled and one run added, that was to be it for the day.

The score at the close was 69/4 with Denly and Simpson on 11 and 12 respectively, a deficit of 499, and Middlesex might need a fair bit of help from the weather to save this one.