Derby Bite Back

Lower Pav reports on Day 2 of a day belonging to Derbyshire.  a good account on the ebb and flow of the day.  

DERBYSHIRE BITE BACK

I had an uneventful journey to headquarters, The day started with me meeting up with The Power and Paul. A special thanks to The Power for correcting me from time to time with this report.

Derbyshire started the day at 205 for 9. Turner 7 and Groenewald 16. As with most teams these days the lower order can and do bat. Murtagh opened the day bowling from the Nursery End. The first three balls were played and missed. An excellent first over. Finn bowled from The Pavilion End. Generally tidy overs followed. However runs were being steadily accumulated and before we knew it the 50 partnership for the tenth wicket arrived. Then at last the wicket that we had been waiting for. Groenewald out for 25 caught Simpson bowled Murtagh with Turner left not out on 22. Derbyshire were all out for 231. This seemed at the time  to be only a barely adequate score but how vital was that stand of 50 runs to be.

At 11.42 Rogers and Robson came out to bat. Palladino opened the bowling from The Nursery End. We are away and the first two balls were dispatched to the boundary by Rogers,  get on with it Middlesex. Groenewald bowled next over from The Pavilion End. Then a life for Rogers who knicked the ball to second slip who in turn parried the ball to first slip who then thankfully dropped it.

Then the first wicket. Rogers out LBW off the bowling of Groenewald for 16. It looked the correct decision and we were 21 for 1. We then moved cautiously on with Denly having joined Robson. Denly looked in good form and a particularly good boundary from him, a straight drive off the bowling of Palladino.

We got to 41 and then there was the first change of bowling with Clare coming on at the Nursery End. Denly hit his first ball for 4 a lovely square cut followed by another boundary. Turner then comes on at the Pavilion End.  Lunch arrives with us on 62 for 1 Denly on 28 and Robson on 18. Beefy arrives and we all meet up with him.

After Lunch everything seemed to be moving along smoothly and then a wicket. Denly out for 34  caught in the slips by Durston off the bowling of Clare. This came as a surprise as Denly looked in no trouble. 72 for 2. Malan comes out to bat and immediately hits a lovely straight drive for 4. Then real concern, another wicket. Malan caught behind by Poynton off the bowling of Turner for 4. We are 81 for 3. Then Robson hits the shot of the day, a glorious straight drive for 4 and we are 89 for 3. The ball was then changed for some reason and then even more concern. Dexter out playing on off the bowling of Palladino for just 1.  I have to say this seemed a very unlucky dismissal.  However we are now 90 for 4 and in a bit of trouble.

Thankfully Robson is still there on 35 and was now joined by Simpson. The weather at this stage began to get worse and we went off for bad light at 2.25pm with the score on a rather perilous 91 for 4. At 2.30 it began to pour with rain and at 2.35 we had some thunder lightening and hail stones. It really began to rain rather hard. What wonderful weather for April. The covers were on all over the place. An early tea was taken at 3.10. In the old days that would have been that for the day. However as we all know the drainage at Lord's is superb. The rain relented, Noah's Ark disappeared over the horizon and play resumed at 4.40.

Turner and Groenewald were the bowlers. The first two overs after the long break were maidens. Steady progress was then made with one or two boundaries. Robson then reached his 50. A lovely innings under the circumstances. The Middlesex ship began to steady. More changes were made to the bowling with Durston being introduced. Then real concern Robson out for 68 caught behind in the slips by Durston off the bowkling of Clare. We are now 136 for 5. Berg comes out to bat. Then real problems. Simpson edged one to slips caught by Redfern off the bowling of Durston for 12 and we are 140 for 6 and Berg is now joined by Rayner.

At this point things are really not looking good. We are still 91 runs behind and 6 wickets down. However all credit to Berg and Rayner. They then saw out the day batting very sensibly, making sure the scoreboard kept ticking along and hitting the odd boundary. Play then finished at about 7pm. Berg 27 and Rayner 16. A very crucial parnership of 40 and we are 180 for 6 and 51 runs behind. The mind went back to their last wicket partnership of 50, which began to look even more important.

However the bottom line is that we are halfway into the game,  two crucial days to go and all results are still possible. However if we can get near their score or even go past it,  I remain optimistic that our superior bowling attack will leave us a target that we can achieve to win this game.