A Day of 3 Halves

211 a career best
By Barmy Kev
July 16 2006

A mixed day for Middlesex on day 2. The highlight was Joycey achieving a career best 211 and a superb catch to dismiss the dangerous Alex Loudon.

Morning Milestones  

 

Resuming at 345-5,there were talks of will Joyce get a double ton, Nash get a 50 or even a ton, then Pepsi, Louw, Silvers and Keegan making 50’s.  It was agreed we should look at this one landmark at a time of which reaching 350 was first one.  In the end it proved to be a profitable session, with which the most significant milestones were:

 

Nash- In his 3^rd innings managing to overtake Scott’s batting total from 12.

 

Joyce- At 193 overtook his career best.  The knowledgeable Edgbaston crowd acknowledged this.

 

Bonus points- We were up to 400 easily within 130 overs.  Satisfying was we were still 5 wickets down at 130 over mark. 1 pt only to Warks.  Ironically the 6th wicket fell in 131^st over

 

 

Mixed fortunes after Lunch   

 

With score on 435-7 at lunch and Ed still there, with a good tail, the thoughts were setting sites on pressing on to 500.   However, spinners Harris and Loudon were making life difficult. When Loudon bowled Pepsi on one that skidded, I was thinking we are going to have fun bowling on this.  We collapsed to 446 all out, but felt this was a reasonable score on a wicket that was doing something.

 

Warks innings got of to a lightening start with 21 off 2 overs. 20/20 again. However, after this we managed to slow the rate down.  Keegan than got Knight well caught behind, off of a beauty that moved away.    Silvers was becoming a bit wayward towards end of long spell and got Trott out off one of his worse balls a short one that Trott skied for a simple catch for Rymple.  Loudon looked dangerous until a brilliant Ed Joyce diving catch at short mid wicket, there for edge of leading drive, right off middle of bat.   When Troughton (Who are you?) was clean bowled by Styris and score at 82-4, things looked very promising.   Wagh and Ambrose survived to tea with Middx right on top.

 

 

 Disappointing End to Day.

 

After tea it was hoped we could press home our advantage.   Rymps and Pepsi (who was bought on very late) couldn’t find the same turn Warks bowlers found earlier. Our seamers ran out of steam.  Wagh and Ambrose looked very comfortable with not even a sniff of wicket.   Our most dangerous bowler Louw ironically was the wicketless one at end of day

 

 

Hopes for Day 3 and 4 

 

Even taking last year into account surely we can’t lose from here.  Can we?

If we are in position to enforce the follow-on we will take it?  Probably not, the locals say this is a deteriorating wicket and best trying to bowl them out day 4.         

There needs to be more consistent length from seamers and I am hopeful our spinners will get something out of this pitch.

 

Game on!