DARK MOODS AND THE WETTEST DROUGHT IN HISTORY
Ex Captain's Innings
By Lower Pavilion
April 20 2012
Lower Pav reports on a day of many mood swings personally and as a Middlesex fan. Read on to feel all the emotions.
Kev emailed me at 7.30pm yesterday and asked me to do todays report. I had intended not to go today because of the dire weather forecast but agreed to do it nevertheless.
For some reason I woke up this morning in a foul mood. My hot water then packed in and my computer was even slower than usual. I left the house in an even worse mood. I went to the village to get cash from the machine only for the lady in front of me to get her card stuck in the machine. I arrived at Lord's late because for some reason the tube driver kept on putting his foot on the brake.
I went through the North Gate, not literally of course as it was open. Time 11.05am approx. I went to the steward selling the scorecard. 80p please sir, which I already had for him. He gave me the scorecard and then said, you will have to update it sir. Why, I asked. Strauss bowled Onions for 0 second ball of the day was his reply. I was now in a very dark place indeed.
I decided to sit in the Lower Tier Of The Pavilion where my cricket life really started. As I sat down next to friends, Denly out caught in the slips by Collingwood off that man Onions for 1. We are 2 for 2. This quickly became 2 for 3 as Robson out for 0 caught in the slips by Di Venuto, Thorp the bowler.
To be fair to the boys, once again this was not a good toss to lose, the wicket was doing a lot and Onions is a very decent bowler. Malan is now at the wicket with Rogers. Malan knicks one through the slips for 4 runs. A stand of 26 then followed and with it some merciful release. The batting conditions were still very testing indeed. Then 28 for 4. Rogers out for 9, a good catch in the gulley by Borthwick off the bowling of Claydon. Malan then joined by Dexter who got some shouts of encouragement as he walked to the wicket. Malan started to play some decent shots and they steadied the ship somewhat. At 12.40 the players came off for bad light and took an early lunch. Middlesex were 57 for 4.
I then met up with Spillage and we went to the Members' Bar at the top of The Pavilion. There we stayed until play resumed at 4.15 . During this time I think I bored Spillage to death about my early memories of Chelsea and football in general in the fifties and sixties but he was far too polite to say so.
We then ventured outside when play commenced again. Malan proceeded to hit two boundaries off Claydon. There then followed a lovely straight drive by Dexter off the bowling of Claydon for 4. Another lovely shot from Dexter for 4. We are 83 for 4 which then became 83 for 5 when Malan was out caught behind by Mustard off that man Onions for a decent 35 bearing in mind the conditions. At about this point it was getting cold so back into the Members' Bar.
Dexter now joined at the wicket by Simpson. At this point Dexter began to look good. A beautiful cover drive for 4 and another lovely shot that bought up the hundred. We then got to 124 for 5 and Dexter looking better and better,. There then followed a great off drive by Simpson for 4. We are 128 for 5. Another lovely shot through the covers by Dexter, when players had to come off for bad light at about 5.23pm and we were 132 for 5 off 39.3 overs. Dexter 65 not out and Simpson 9 not out. It was a shame as I felt our boys were in this session slowly getting on top of the bowlers.
At this time it got very dark indeed ands started to rain. Two things came to mind. Firstly there was clearly to be no more play for the day and secondly this must be the wettest drought in the history of civilised man. No doubt the authorities and politicians will say it is the wrong type of rain.
Thanks to Spillage and our boys fightback my mood had got better and better during the day. I feel there is a resilience about our side over the last couple of years which is great to see. In the not too distant past other Middlesex teams could have been bowled out for about 70 today but not this team. On the basis the wicket stays about the same and the weather relents a little, a score of about 200 would be very useful and then our bowling attack led by the mighty Finn could make life very difficult for Durham.
All in all I left Lord's in a better mood than when I arrived.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:04:23:06:57:59 by The Diamond ruled ok.
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
I could imagine the feeling after being told about Strauss losing his wicket,but glad you got to see Dext have a good session.
Glad you left feeling better!
Apart from the usual suspects around me, JW was alongside but minus lower mound who he said was at work.
The afternoon storm with the ground covered in hailstones was something to behold.
Top marks to the groundstaff to get a further hour's play in.
Must of been at least an inch of rain to spark the wettest drought in history.
As to your report lp. Excellent and full of interest.
As you opine. It was worth the 3 and a half hour wait to see Dex's entertaining knock.
Boy, does he like the ball just outside off stump for the square cut.
Also, in the lower grandstand, was a new cheerleader ideal for the T20 matches to come.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:04:21:10:57:41 by Seaxe_Man.
