Victoria's Rain. We Are Not Amused

Pantherlike reports on what to some may be a meaningless match. However, there is a great interest from an account on the shape of the Ashes series, Middlesex influence on and off the field and a meeting with an Aussie legend.  Plus two surprise Middlesex bowlers.  A great read again from our Aussie correspondent..  

Victoria v England XI at MCG, 10 – 12 December 2010

Toss: Victoria who batted first.

Victoria 216/2 (Hill 105no, D Hussey 67no, Bresnan 1/56, Tremlett 0/29, Shahzad 0/47) and 278/6 (Carters, 68 on debut, McKay 58no)

England 184/2 (Strauss 66, Bell 60no) and 211/6 (Prior 102no, McKay 4/68)

Match drawn

The first two days of a three day tour fixture between tests had played out quite unremarkably.  There had been some interest in two or three of the local lads, White, David Hussey or Client McKay doing something incredible heroic on the first day which might have caught the widened drift net cast by the Australian selection panel.  Really, selecting the team for the Perth test has become a bit like the auditions for one of those Simon Cowell productions – just about anyone could apply.  And with the surprise selection of Michael Beer, it seemed anyone could! 

But England too had its own little selection quandary.  Broad was going home and needed a replacement.  Brensan, Tremlett and Shahzad would be fighting it out like wild cats in an alleyway.  Only the fittest need apply. 

Day 1

Bear (Cameron White) won the toss and batted.  The G drop-in pitch looked flat and it was difficult to see how a result might occur.  Reaching 2/216, White declared with about an hour to go upon the young lad Michael Hill reaching his maiden first class hundred.  For the test hopefuls:  White was out for 23, and David Hussey looked simply fab for an unbeaten 67.  England bowling hopefuls didn’t quite impress.  Of the three pacemen, only Bresnan snared a wicket, though it was noted that none of the three bowled poorly.

Strauss and Cook then Bell (Cook falling late for 27) saw things through to stumps.

Day 2

Day one was a road, day two was much the same.  Interestingly, England upon reaching 2/184, made a bold declaration, leaving half the day to the Vics to bat.  Were they interested in trying to win the game?  Strauss who had made a decent looking 66 was very mindful of the forecast for late thunderstorms that evening and the forecast for Sunday was showers.  So the best thing for him to do was give his fast bowlers another audition.  Sadly this meant that Moggy Morgan didn’t get a hit.  Chances for Eoin are limited at best on this tour and this decision did not help!

The Australian test team having been announced, Rolf Harris was a surprise call up (though it could’ve been that Ryan Harris keeping his place?), there was no sign of Warne though and with White and Hussey having also missed out, both decided to both sit in the dressing room and have a good sulk whilst the rest of the batting order got to have a bash at the tourists. 

The afternoon sort of plodded along, but with around ten overs left in the day and the Vics casually composing a score of 5/160-odd, Strauss decided it was time for some fun and brought himself on.  His first over or so was not too shabby, and to the merriment of Middx supporters brought Eoin Morgan on from the other end.  It was more than can a Koala Bear!  With five overs left, young Michael Hill, the first innings centurion thinking that Strauss’s offerings were well beneath him, got greedy and went for a hoik (Aussie for a less than elegant swish towards cow corner), missed it and was adjudged leg before.  Strauss had a wicket, which was more than Tremlett and Shahzad could muster.  Straussy was very impressed with himself.  Not in a Monty Panesar kind of way mind you, but impressed nonetheless….

With just a lead of 220, the Bushrangers (it’s what the Vics call themselves), no doubt thinking of going for the win and depriving the tourists of a claim of being tour invincibles akin to those marvellous 1948 Aussies, decided to make hay.  And what hay they made!  Strauss and Moggy were duly dispatched by Clint Mackay 58no off 27 balls and his opening bowling mate Jayde Herrick (40no off 19 balls).  The last five overs costing 80-odd, giving the Vics a strong 310 run lead and a day to bowl England out.

Interestingly, there’d been a decent crowd in.  Apparently there were 3,900 in the members stand alone.

Day 3

The forecast rain turned up just in time to delay the start of the final day.  The Vics had of course declared and Strauss sent in Cook and Davies to open.  It had me stuffed as to why Cook was even in the team and when he played Mackay on for 10 to go with his first innings 27, he was probably wondering the same thing.  Magnanimously though, the man signed some autographs for the kids (and some adults) throughout the day.  McKay and Herrick were swinging into the Poms.  Collingwood (8) – he was not happy!, Davies (18) left England tottering at 3/36.  Enter Eoin Morgan.  Finally.  Now I’d told my brother all about Moggy, and we both settled back to watch the kid paste the Vics attack.  Moggy was certainly relishing the opportunity for some time in the middle and with typical fleet-footed assertion was away.  Things were looking great, but on 6, he dabbled at a quick Herrick delivery and though to Wade.  The disappointment was very evident as he left the field.

Bresnan then joined Prior at the wicket (Prior had come in at 4 and looked pretty solid), promoted up the order no doubt to see if he could get some runs.  In between rain delays, and lunch, he made 19, but also fell to McKay who was having a bit of a day out, eventually returning 4/68.  A good match for Clint. 

With the day on the wane and frequent showers causing the players to leave the field regularly, and with the fall of a sixth wicket (Bell for 17), Strauss decided it was time he put a plug on the Victorian surge, seeing out the game with Prior, who reached his well deserved hundred (102no) just as Strauss and White decided to shake hands and call it a day. 

An interesting draw.  The Vics certainly had England’s measure at times, and yet England were well on track to get the runs.  Only for the rain! 

Briefly met up with Andy Flower during the rain-cum-lunch-break.  I commented that the six weeks of boot camp they’d put Finny through had seemed to pay off.  He agreed.  I also had to relate the Middx membership’s frustrations at having been without one of our main strike bowlers.  He said he’d been well aware of our perilous state.  ‘Nuff said I suppose…

And what of Finny?  Well he was there, carrying drinks and doing the odd jobs for the team.  A proper 12^th man in the traditional sense!  Whilst England were batting, the team were up in one of the coaches boxes (used in AFL matches) toward the back of the first tier.  I lost count the number of times Finny bounded up and down the stand taking out drinks, gloves, umbrellas etc.  How he didn’t do an ankle on those wet concrete steps is anyone’s guess.  But he’s obviously enjoying himself in Austtralia.  I can confirm to you all that Finny acquitted his station with exuberance and energy.  Yes, Mr Flower, those 6 weeks off came in very handy!  Well, let’s see how he gets on in the Perth heat. 

Passed Eoin chatting with John Emburey at tea time and passed on my regards.  JE was clearly making sure the lad was ok and was being looked after and if his parents were coming out etc etc.  I was well pleased with the support. 

Another gong to the England team management in that the entire squad, playing or otherwise, were all in their whites.  This lent them an air of professionalism.  Most impressive.  Even KP had his whites on.  It was a pleasant change from those garish casual outfits the Aussies wear…it seems that just now England have the ascendancy in all parts of the game.  Perhaps now they just need to get Finny, and Trott for that matter to wear their blue caps out on the field at the start of each session.  Those white floppy things just don’t do it for me I’m afraid…

So what are we to make of all this ahead of the test in Perth?  England selectors would be heartened by the return to form of the captain.  Finally Strauss managed to top score an innings!  And Prior batted really well on the last day for his 23^rd first class century.  This now means that five of the top English seven have centuries on this tour.  Quite a feat.  Bowling-wise, though none were stellar, you’d probably back the selectors picking Bresnan or Tremlett to replace Broad.  Bresnan is my tip.  No idea why.  Perhaps it was because he got to have a bat?  In all, an entertaining though rain-marred match that will do little to prepare England for Perth – things are going to be vastly different in the West.  Beefy Roberts will be there reporting for MTWD fans.  A cautionary word Beefy:  yes, of course you’ll SLIP, SLOP, SLAP (for those who didn’t ever see the Sunsmart TV ads:  wear your shirt, sunscreen and hat), and an SPF 30+ is the de rigeur sunblock these days…but do NOT forget the lip balm!  A sunburnt bottom lip is one of life’s most miserable experiences!

Lastly, I caught up with big Merv toward the end of the day’s play.  I had to remind him of that day in 1994-ish when I knocked his attempted leggies around the park in a game down on the Victorian West Coast at Portland…he remembered the day well.  I asked him if We (got my Aussie hat on again now) could win in Perth?  He looked me in the eye and in declared with that typical tone of Aussie certainty and optimism: ‘I hope so!’