A day of confusion
hard day for new skip.
By Beefy Roberts
June 30 2010
Beedy Roberts reports from Bristol on Day two of the match versus Gloucestershire. A long day in the field for the Middle and a day of confusion for their followers as subs come and go and shirt numbers change before their very eyes.
We arrived at the ground at 11.20 after the bus walked it yesterday took 45 mins, never again!
The score is 103-2 With Super Ped on from Pavilion end.Noticed that Bergie is 12th man on for Ace,not another injury we hope.Next over is Murts from Jessop Road end score has nudged along to 116-2 and we get a bowling change its Smith from Jessop road,cricket is really enthralling so Ken and Kev discuss Kens trip to Wimbledon yesterday(yep,he's back here now for the cricket).
Smith has an over to Marshall,who looks well bedded in and sends a 6 over Smudgers head,the ball is in the car park at the Jessop end and the hunt is on for it,found it is the cry and Gloucs resume on 139-2. 16 overs gone,another 6 off Smudger,this time by Dent .Captain Dext takes Smudgers place and his first ball is a wide,oh no,not more of them please after yesterday.Toby comes on at Pavilion end replacing super Ped who spills the fielding as Dent reaches 50,score is 162-2 ,then,its a wicket Dent goes on 53 its 167-3 He is caught by Newman(yep) off Toby,its our first point of the day.
Now,problems set in,the reporter starts to get double vision.As Bergie is still fielding,we have a new number 12 or 13,as two of our players bring drinks on,both wearing Warner,number 31 shirts,im sure this will be sorted as one of them is the real Warner!
Some bad fielding by Super Ped,he misses the ball and then falls trying to stop it,oh no and groans when he doesn't get up,after some massage he slowly picks himself up,but,trouble ahead as he walks off holding his lower back,we were praying its not serious.Warner(the proper one) comes on as 13th man and he is wearing number 3,Shah shirt,its getting crazy,double vision everywhere.
An announcement by Beefy I fancy an ice cream,I get told Im going soft as Im not on beer as yet.Will later i say.Toby bowling to Marshall and a huge LBW appeal,and,as usual not given by our mate Holder,its now my first comfort break(taking a wicket) even that didnt work today,nothing going right for the Middle.Josh Davey gets a couple of overs before lunch Kev comments " looks like a big score building here" and at lunch they reach 193-3.
Ken and myself arrive from the chippie in time to see Captain Dext bowl Marshall for 68,off stump is hit.More double vision(is this a wind up?) Bergie is still fielding,and another player is wearing number 54 shirt walking round the boundary.How many doubles have we got???Dext strikes again,another wicket Taylor bowled for 1 and its 199-5,Super Ped returns after lunch Shah/Warner returns to 12th/13th man duties,with Murts from Pavilion end,they move to only 6 runs behind our total and are steaming ahead very soon.
Attempted catch by the real Bergie and he lies on the ground,not another damn injury i say,he gets up slowly and is shaking his left hand for a few minutes,Gloucester take a first innngs lead,its 237-5 a lead of 39 then............shock,horror the lads go up for a LBW to Holder and he gives it,wicket for Malan Gidman LBW its 276-6 we just might see the Middle bat again soon.
New ball is taken,from Jessop end its Murts who is bowling well,with all the injuries etc we need the main man.Newman now goes off,his boot is knackered and needs to be repaired,another man on(14th man?) its an unknown,prorbaly been loaned to us by Gloucestershire,he is wearing number 75,OB,but its definatly not the real shirt owner!The 300 is up for Gloucester and with 2 overs before tea they are 319-6 its been a hard toil for our lads on a humid day,I know have to admit to a bit of bad sight,Ace has been fielding since after lunch,I never noticed but with so many coming and going its not surprising really
A wicket at last its 324-7 Lewis run out by Smith,Kev comments We never hit the wicket.And he missed it!!!!!Their score rattles along to 351-7 Smith from Jessop Stand end,Roland-Jones from Pavilion end.Its been a long day,i apologise for a dis-jointed report,Franklin is still in,on the nervous 90's and we gat a wicket score now 399-8 the wicket is Franklin,off Dexters bowling he goes for 99 caught by Smith(i think).
Close of play score is 404-8 were back Weds to probably see our lads bat,but with injuries,who and how many will it be??!!We travel back to Bristol centre for a beer and a bite to eat.................the journey back by bus,now THAT is another story!!! Maybe it will be ' bagged up ' and told soon!
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:03:07:47:18 by Ged.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
I just hope that things have ben better today with players better...
Kimmy