Gloom In the Sunshine

Fozzie reports on a day that overall was a unmistakenly a bad one for Middlesex.   We hear of how the grim  events of the day unfolded with a few postives inbetween. This report contains a MTWD health warning.  

MIDDLESEX v SURREY: DAY TWO, 3 MAY 2013

Well, it wasn’t all gloom today.  Literally so in respect of the weather, which was beautiful throughout and served a reminder of what a difference it makes to watch cricket in glorious sunshine.  And there was considerably more action and entertainment than on the previous day.  Indeed, the morning session probably belonged to Middlesex.  But after that – well, let’s just say that this report will probably be as dispiriting to read as it is to write, and those of a nervous disposition should probably stop reading now.

But at 11.00, as I joined Kev and Big Harv in a reasonably full Upper Compton, the thoughts were of getting a quick breakthrough, and this was quickly achieved in Murts’ first over of the day, getting Davies LBW to make the score 274-5.  Murts bowled consistently well, but at the other end Finny was wayward, regularly straying down the leg side with the nadir being a delivery that went for 4 wides. After only three overs he was replaced by Toby.

There now followed a tense little period of play as the 110th over approached and both sides looked to add to their bonus points.  De Bruyn and Wilson edged the score forward, while Murts and Toby bowled tightly and kept them in check. At the start of the 110th over the score was 299-5, and although Toby bowled an excellent maiden the over was not a great outcome for the Middle: a scrambled leg bye brought up the 300 and a third Surrey bonus point, while we couldn’t take the wicket that would have brought us another point. And to add further indignity, the over rate reached an alarming -5.

Possibly to address the over rate issue, Buck brought Stirlo on to replace Murts, and after a diffident first over he brought some control and a pleasing variety.  Meanwhile a snorter from Toby flicked De Bruyn’s glove for a catch behind, bringing in Gareth Batty who promptly hit Stirlo for four.  However, in trying to repeat the shot he misjudged his pull, giving a simple top-edged catch to Buck. It must have been very satisfying for Stirlo to get his first Middle wicket by deceiving a former England spinner.

Corey replaced Toby, and he quickly had Tremlett fending at an outswinger and caught behind, followed by trapping Linley for a well-deserved third wicket.  Wilson tried to shield Dernbach, but the no.11 played an authentic shot off Stirlo, only to see Buck take a brilliant diving catch.  A score of 338 all out represented a good comeback by the Middle, while Surrey must have felt frustrated that they couldn’t build more effectively from a position of 311-5.  A bonus was that Stirlo got through 16 overs for the respectable figures of 2-43, while he and Corey managed to bring the over rate back to -3.

So lunch was taken with the match evenly poised.  The wicket seemed possibly to have offered a little more help than the previous day – some bounce for the fast bowlers, a little movement for Corey – but it still appeared to be an excellent batting strip.

Buck and Sam opened the innings after lunch to Dernbach and Tremlett.  The former seemed unsettled by the right / left handed combination, though Tremlett immediately settled into a good line and length, hitting the bat hard.  Throughout the innings Graeme Smith rotated his bowlers after short spells, and after four overs each the openers were replaced by De Bruyn and Linley.  The first change confused the scoreboard operator, who insisted that Dernbach was still bowling (after all, both names begin with D, and they were both born in South Africa, so practically interchangeable).  De Bruyn seems to be an impact bowler who makes things happen, and the change certainly excited Buck, who edged through the slips and then drove uppishly past the bowler’s hand. A cover drive for four had Kev celebrating by removing his shirt, and rarely can an appalled Compton Stand have emptied so quickly.  Perhaps Buck was affected by the hubbub there, for in De Bruyn’s next over he played a violent shot that succeeded only in playing on.  By now the scoreboard operator had correctly credited De Bruyn with the wicket, but rather spoiled this by adjudging it to be LBW despite the evidence of a stump lying prone on the ground.  28-1.

However, Sam seemed secure while Joe played some well-timed shots, and the score moved on serenely at over three an over.  All was going well until the opening bowlers returned; and Dernbach first nearly had Sam playing on and then trapped Joe LBW with the score at 72. And that was the start of things going really wrong.

Dawid Malan entered to play a brief, skittish innings full of incident.  He was dropped in the slips before scoring, then nearly run out while running rather casually between the wickets.  Two exquisitely timed cover drives for four seemed to have indicated that any nerves had been settled, but then Gareth Batty was introduced into the attack and with his first ball dismissed AC LBW on the back foot for 13.  Dex endured an uncomfortable over before relief came with the tea interval at 92-3.

At least Sam was still there. But in the opening over after tea he got an inside edge off De Bruyn and was caught behind, and the alarm bells were ringing as Simmo joined Dex. Smith rang the changes with his bowlers, and the scoring rate declined as the batsmen concentrated on survival, with Dex looking out of touch but determined to battle it out.  Together they added 21 runs in 15 overs before Dernbach, now switched to the Pavilion End, had Dex caught at slip.  This brought in Stirlo, who had the misfortune to receive a late inswinging yorker that had him plumb LBW for a first-ball duck.  Maybe he should have played forward rather than back, but it looked a pretty good delivery and not one you would want to receive first ball.  We had been debating whether we would see the T20 Stirlo or a new model better suited for the longer form, but we’ll have to wait to the second innings to find out.

So we had a situation of awful irony where Toby, of all people, came in on a hat-trick. Thankfully he blocked it, and in fact he looked more composed than most of those who had gone before him.  By contrast, Simmo seemed to have gone right into his shell, but then after finally contributing some runs to the partnership he lofted Batty for a straightforward catch to mid-off.  Toby pulled Tremlett for a good boundary, but next ball popped up a return catch.  Tim Murtagh batted well and shielded Finny from the bowling, but with the last ball of the penultimate over of the day Linley dismissed Finny. Murts played out a maiden to Batty, and stumps came with Middle placed precariously on 161-9 and needing Murts and Corey to add an unlikely 28 runs next morning to avoid the follow-on.

Credit to Surrey, who were captained proactively by Smith with bowling changes that were effective and didn’t allow the batsmen to settle.  Dernbach and De Bruyn made things happen, while Tremlett and Batty were constantly probing and accurate.  But of course our main concern is with the Middle, for whom seven of the nine batsmen to be dismissed reached double figures but of whom only Sam scored more than 21.  The true value of the application shown by Burns and Harinath on the first day is now apparent.  And to rub salt into the wound, there’s a good chance that we’ll end the match in negative equity, with the over rate penalty exceeding our meagre haul of 1 bonus point.

Hopefully this was just a bad day at the office, and those who attend at the weekend will see greater resolve and application.  But at least we enjoyed the sunshine…