Victory on a Batty Day

With the overnight score being Surrey on 110-6, Tim Murtagh opened the bowling from the Nursery End and six runs were scored of the first over of the day. Stewart Walters was on 15 and Gareth Batty on 12. In the first ball of Murtagh's second over, Batty was sensationally caught one-handed by Josh Davey with the score on 116, and for the next hour the word/name "Batty" was the order of the day to coin a phrase. One of the regulars behind said "get the car started", but the new batsmen Chris Tremlett had other ideas as he got his motor started. However, off his first ball Tremlett was dropped by Ace.

In Pedro Collins' third over, Tremlett hit the first boundary of the day towards the Grand Stand. In Murtagh's next over, Tremlett went batty as he scored two sixes - including a huge one into the top tier of the Grand Stand - and one four, pushing the score onto 138-7 with Walters on 19 and Tremlett on 18. The next over was bowled by Collins and the runs kept on flowing with eight runs scored, and following Murtagh's next over Tremlett went batty again, hitting a boundary to bring up the 150 followed by another boundary and a further six into the Grand Stand boxes, making the score 160-7 with Walters on 27 and Tremlett on 32.

Toby Roland-Jones then came on, and Walters scored two boundaries to bring up the 50 partnership in 32 balls to make the score 172-7. At this stage, Shaggy came on from the Pavilion End for the 44th over of the innings to bowl to his former Hampshire team-mate Tremlett and in the third ball of the over Tremlett went batty again, hitting a huge six which Jonathan swears hit the Pavilion roof to bring the score to 183-7, Walters on 43 and Tremlett on 39. By this time, Pedro had changed ends bowling from the Nursery End and there was success for Middlesex as Walters was caught behind by John Simpson for 43, bringing Jade Dernbach to the crease. Shaggy bowled the next over and Tremlett again went batty hitting Shaggy for a six into the long-on boundary followed by a four to make the score 193-8 with Tremlett on 49.

A little while later, the 200 came up and Tremlett brought up his 50 off 34 balls and in just over an hour's play 93 runs had been scored. When the 200 was scored and 93 had been scored in an hour, I promptly started to clap and Barmy Kev shouted out "Why are you clapping Mr Winsky?", so I turned round and said "When's the last time you had seen over 90 runs being scored in an hour in a County Championship match?".

However, with the score on 212 Shaggy had Dernbach - having just hit a six - out to a low catch by Owais Shah. Then it was the time for the Viscount Linley to come in and he lasted just four balls before he edged Collins to Scott Newman at slip and Middlesex had beaten Surrey by an innings and 44 runs to wild cheers in the Grand Stand. Middlesex secured the maximum possible 24 points from the match, but Surrey went home with just one after being deducted two points for a slow over-rate.

In just an hour and 10 minutes, 102 runs were scored and 18 wickets were taken by former Surrey players in the match*. Hands up if anyone can tell me if this has ever been bettered in a County Championship match? I'm off home now to do this report, but those of you who are staying for the Pimms party have a great time.

[Editor's Note: respectfully, I think it is a slight of hand to describe Toby Roland-Jones as a former Surrey player.  He has been with Middlesex since he was a nipper and can only have acquired this rumoured Surrey pedigree as a result of playing for Sunbury (in the Surrey league), something that several Middlesex players do without really going over to the dark side.  It might be in the Surrey league, but is the place not Sunbury, Middlesex?]