Lorry Load of Runs and a shedful of wickets

London Leprecahun reports on a day that definitely had more postives then Sunday and offered a few more distractions thank to the building works. But no current pictures we are sorry to say - the site has problems.

The disadvantage of going to home matches is that I rarely get there on time, because life, as they say “happens.”  So after a few phone calls,  shop errands , remembering to put a parking permit in the car,  and other essentials I did not make the Tube until just before play was due to start.  That was OK though as while in the Tube and on the bus I managed to take the three wickets that fell early in the day. So I can’t tell you much about them except what I was told when I got there, that Murts was bowling exceptionally well and making the most of the early morning opportunities you often get at Lord’s.

By the time I actually got to see some play, things had settled into the pattern of yesterday, though Somerset’s run rate was creeping up to the dizzy heights of three an over. This was mainly due to Trego and a patient Gregory milking runs, playing straight and every now and again launching a massive shot against the less hostile bowling of Ollie, Franklin and even Adam Voges.  The overrate meandered between green zero, red zero and minus one, but never worse.  Up to and for a while after lunch most everyone just felt we might as well call it a draw at this point; talking of which it was mildly annoying to just get one bowling point. Especially as just before the 110^th over there was what everyone though was a catch at square leg ruled out because the umpires could not tell if it carried.  That would have been the 6^th wicket.  Be nice to take the fielder’s word for it.

So while the match drifted again we were left to watch a lorry trundling round the outfield every now and again to pick up supplies for the Warner Stand.  They were careful not to drive behind the bowlers’ arm and were pretty skilled in driving forwards and backwards to take the corner in front of the Compton Stand.  But it would never have happened in a Test match.  You would have had a picture to show this but we can’t upload any images at the moment. There is as they say a technical hitch on the website.

Other distractions included wondering why the square leg umpire in particular was standing so far away from the action and indeed why he was standing so far behind the wicket that he could not possibly have seen any no balls; and wondering why the Lord’s scoreboard was still advertising lunch in the Thomas Lord Suite at 3pm.

But then the day twisted again as the admirable Murts came back to bowl, took three quick wickets, and with TRJ and finally Ollie getting in on the act Somerset semi collapsed to from 346/5 to 376  A score of less then 400 reached fairly slowly gave us a chance if we could get of to a flyer batting.  Which we did really. Robbo and Gubbins looked comfortable from the beginning; scored 59 in just 11 overs before tea and continued to dominate afterwards, as the wicket looked benign in the sunshine and the Somerset bowling lacked edge.  Positive batting get the score ticking happily and though Robbo survived two chances – one to point and one in the slips he did not actually look in much trouble. Nick Gubbins looks impressive every time he bats and we went to the end of the day in a very good place to complete my master plan: get to 600 by the end of tomorrow and then let the spinners loose on a wicket that is beginning to look very dusty.

Oh and one final point: Adam Voges was capped at lunchtime – good to see but as the tannoy was completely muffled in the Tavern Stand we had no idea it was happening or who it was.  In fact the only words I heard all day was spectators must not. Which I took too mean no perambulation.  I guess we couldn’t be trusted to keep clear of the lorry.