Not a good day to be a Bowler

London Leprechaun reports on a run feast at Taunton, on another bad day at the office for our boys we also hear about the Test Match, rain in London and the Tennis from Paris. A good read as always...

First port of call is Cric info:

Middlesex win the toss and fielding. A weather related decision?

Ireland in for Malan – Weather  or strengthening the bowling  which looked a bit tame on Friday?

I then tune into the commentary and find they are talking about traffic delays because of Polo at Hurlingham – that could have been fun and easier to get into than London 2012!  Though it would be impossible to get to because they have just gone through the weekend tube disruptions; would have been quicker to list what is running.  It also sounds like the commentary is actually on Radio London proper as well as the internet – obviously there is no football of any kind in London.

Somerset team sounds scary – Van der Merwe, Kieswetter, Tresco and Trego, not to mention Compo and Murali – hang on is that almost a Middlesex team! They are playing in black this year – that sounds scary as well. Are they pretending to be All Blacks?

The start is ominous - two boundaries; a six that was nearly a catch and then four – all crashed by Kieswetter.  19 in one over! Aaagh

Second over not a great deal better – fourteen runs! Help

And it is raining at Lord’s – maybe needs to be raining at Taunton.

And after 3 overs it is mayhem – 51 of 3 overs – Kieswetter has 40; Tresco is giving him the strike; Kevin is commentating from the same box that Trego got Edward Bevan – I fear for him.  two dot balls in three is a recovery.  Then a six, than a grand catch by Jamie D to get rid of Trescothick – only for Trego to come in.

Five overs – 77/1 This is ridiculous – not even the end of the fielding restrictions helps. KIeswetter gets to 50 in 18 balls. -  We will need some magic from Paul Stirling, that’s for sure. What was that about strengthening the bowling?

6^th over – are we going to regret a dropped catch but thankfully not as Crook bowls Kieswetter – can we pull it back from here.  Only to see Van Der Merwe come in and Trego thump another 6.  This is ridiculous!!

It’s mildly less ridiculous after the next two overs – only 18 runs from two overs.

But Somerset are still cantering – another ball nearly gets to the commentators’ box, and when they are not hitting boundaries they are running very quick singles, and then giving the crowd catching practice.

It’s 139 after 10 overs! Yes 139 after 10 overs and Trego starts the last half of the innings  with a six! This is ridiculous!! Can we get Eion Morgan to come down as he won’t be needed to bat at Lord’s today.   And with hardly a breath Van Der Merwe gets to 50.

Than a strange wicket – Ireland bowls a high full toss – Kevin is sure it should be a no ball for height, Maclaren takes a fantastic catch (don’t know why) and the umpires don’t call it. Van Der Merwe is unimpressed but is given out. Than a fabulous run out from Dexter – hits one stump to get Trego.

A bit of relief follows as Hildreth and Butler get themselves in – they have time to do this for a couple of overs, before Butler hits another full toss to cover.

But Somerset albeit playing quietly are already up to 190 and there are five overs left. Ridiculous.  Even bowling them out they will still have a huge total.  Well when Kieswetter gets 50 of 18 balls; and Van Der Merwe does it of 19 what can you expect.

The last few overs are slightly less fiery but Somerset reach 204 by the 17^th over. Kevin and Dave Townsend are musing over the Somerset record, in between wondering why Paul Stirling has not bowled. – maybe he is being saved for his batting.

But even without the frenetic batting of Kieswetter and Van Der Merwe,  Hildreth still shows enough inventiveness to get Somerset to 233. That is a ridiculous score.

Help!!

You will be pleased to know that there are still traffic delays at the polo – they may be having a better time than Middlesex.  Quick look at the tennis – looks like that is turning into another cracker.

Back to the batting – 1^st over all happens – two sixes from Stirling and than a dropped catch by Kartik which was almost a run out as well.  16 of the first over. So far so good.  It could be an exciting 20 overs or a complete mess. 

2^nd over – mess sounds likely as Rogers is out for just one boundary to a good catch.   A lot will depend on Stirling.  Who promptly plays a cover drive for six to keep us in the hunt.  Followed by another boundary and we are in the hunt. Stirling needs to stay in.  And so far so good, as Stirlo gets most of the runs to take us to 40+ in the fourth over until he gets undone by Hussain and Kartik takes a simple catch. He needed to stay in.

Newman skies a ball shortly after and this is not looking good at all. In any sense. In any way. Although we are 50 after 5 overs. That is not a bad score.  But not good enough, in any way.

Especially as Dalyrmpyle is bowled first ball.  This is not good.  And not enough boundaries are coming although McClaren was signed as a big hitter.

And then Kartik comes on to bowl.  The run rate climbs and it is not clear whether they are playing now just for pride or really think they might still have a chance to win.  Meanwhile Kevin starts going through the Essex team for Thursday – help!!

Middlesex are not going for the runs.  Even a six makes little difference. We are up to 15 an over; McClaren hoicks to a fielder. Already methinks the 2020 may not be for us this year.  Not time for Berg or Malan to recover from injury.  Not enough really big hitters. Not the depth of the right type of bowlers. Time to check on the tennis – Nadal is looking good after a rain break in Paris ; still pouring at Lord’s.  Right rain, wrong places and times.

The crowd are getting noisy as the match is petering out; the commentators are focussing on Kirby who is getting a bit of a clattering and has had some really poor misfields.

 Meanwhile, thanks to some clean hitting from Simmo with first Stephen Crook and then Tom Smith, the Middlesex score starts to go along quite nicely but nowhere near enough for this circumstance.   But credit for them that they did not completely collapse in a heap and are going down hitting – Simmo  is now giving the crowd some catching practice and gets to a cleanly hit 50 which takes us to 180+.  Perhaps we should have batted first.  Maybe if we can get the bowling sorted there is still some hope.

Meanwhile the match is ending in a bit of farce as Simmo is dropped two balls running of an unamused Kirby;  Tom Smith is nearly dropped, , there could have been a run out both ends of the first ball of the last over ; Simmo ends up with the highest score of the match and we end up with 195. That is a very decent score and we just needed another Stirlo somewhere along the way.  Actually we needed to not let Somerset get 230.

Now let’s have a look at the Essex batting line up – Shah, Bopara, Naper, Ten De Doeschate. Hmm. . . . . .

Well the tennis is getting exciting – let’s distract myself with that.