Students Outclassed

Rogers and Out describes his journey to Oxford and how Middlesex continued to completely outclass the Uni side.

Middlesex ended day two of the friendly match with Oxford MCCU at the Parks in an impregnable position, with their hosts requiring an implausible 528 more runs to win the match with nine wickets in hand. Whilst we did bowl well on a flat track, questions have to be asked about the quality of the Oxford batting, as they managed to slump from 33/1 to 57 all out. Whilst the Oxford Twitter feed  claimed that  reverse swing from our bowlers managed to unhinge their batsmen, their capitulation made our T20 efforts this season seem not so bad after all.

Rather than take the bus to West Drayton then train to Oxford, I opted for the Oxford Tube coach from Hillingdon, which took around an hour and the only delay was waiting for a free space at the Gloucester Green bus depot.

The walk to the ground took 10 minutes and a full day’s play beckoned with bright sunshine beaming down on the Parks. After our overnight declaration on 430/4, James Harris opened the bowling from the Pavilion end to Oxford captain Wilf Marriott, with Harry Podmore operating from the Northam Gardens end.

After a couple of maidens, Marriott opened the students’ account with a single to square leg in the third over. Run scoring was proving hard for Oxford and their first boundary came when Steve Leach glanced Harris wide of third slip for four, increasing the score to 9/0 in the seventh over.

Two overs later, Leach had a let off when he edged Harris just short of Stirlo at first slip. Gurjit Sandhu replaced Podmore to bowl the tenth over, and after the left arm pace man had beaten Marriott with a couple of beauties, Leach cut him square for four from the last ball of that over.

In the next over, Nick Gubbins put down a sharp chance at square leg off Harris to reprieve Leach, but he made up for that soon after with some excellent fielding at point to deny Marriott a boundary. Whilst Harris and Podmore were economical and tidy, it was Sandhu who looked the most dangerous and it was no surprise when he had Marriott well caught at second slip by Ollie. Marriott had scored 9 and Oxford were 27/1.

The incoming batsman was Henry Hughes and it was an innings he would sooner forget. Although he managed to hang around for 12 balls, he barely laid bat on ball, with Sandhu his chief tormentor, continually beating him outside off stump. He eventually got his man with ‘keeper Rosso taking the catch. Hughes was gone for nought and Oxford were reduced to 33/2.

Leach was doing his best to keep Oxford in the hunt and he rode his luck again when Harris couldn’t cling on to a high chance at square leg off Podmore. Ravi Patel came on to bowl the 24th over and, with his second delivery, had Matt Winter leg before for 2. Winter had looked as uncomfortable Hughes and lasted 15 balls.

Ollie replaced Podmore from the Pavilion end and Oxford found it even harder to score against the spinners bowling in tandem. In fact, they managed just one single from the last ball of the first five overs they faced from them.  In that period, Leach lost patience and skyed Ravi to Gurjit at deep mid off for 25, then in the same over, Alex Martin was foxed by a delivery that kept low and was LBW for zero, leaving the students on 40/5.

It looked like Oxford wouldn’t make 50 before lunch, but James Poulson, courtesy of a couple of leg byes and a straight driven four off Ravi, saw them to 54/5 from 35 overs at the break.

After a couple of swift pints at the nearby Lamb & Flag, I returned to see James Harris and Gurjit Sandhu demolish the remaining Oxford batting, with a spell that saw 5 wickets fall for 3 runs. Poulson shouldered arms to a Harris delivery that flattened his off stump, Kennedy was leg before to the same bowler, then Sandhu had both Sam Weller and Sam Cato caught behind by Rosso. It just remained for Abidine Sakande to fall leg before to Harris to leave Oxford in a very sorry heap at 57 all out.

Sandhu took the honours with 4/16, well assisted by Patel (3/8) and Harris (3/11).

To the surprise of the locals (but not to me), we opted to bat again and Simmo and Rosso opened the batting, presumably to gain some time in the middle. Sakande opened the bowling from the Pavilion end to Simmo, and after the man from Bury had registered one boundary, he edged the Oxford paceman to ‘keeper Martin who took a leaping catch behind. Simmo had made six and we were 10/1.

Stirlo was next in and didn’t last long, adjudged to have been caught behind from the bowling of Jamie Thompson. He didn’t look too happy when leaving the field and I’m not certain if that was because of the decision or the shot.

Rosso and Joe Denly were now together at the crease and looked to improve on our 11/2 situation. Rosso played in his customary aggressive fashion, and was particularly strong through the on side. He hit a series of boundaries, the best of which was a pull from Thompson for six over midwicket. He was reprieved on 41 when Poulson put down a chance at mid off from the bowling of Weller.

Denly was scoring freely too and his best effort was a straight six off Weller. Tea was taken with Middlesex on 126/2, with Rosso 67 and Joe Denly 49.

Joe completed his fifty soon after tea, but was eventually out for 55, when he was caught by Sakande at long off from a Thompson delivery. Dawid Malan was next in, but it was Rosso who was nearing a century.

Alas, he didn’t make it. After lofting Cato to the long on boundary to reach 98, he attempted the same shot the very next ball and Leach took the catch on the boundary. Ollie joined AC in the middle and we eventually declared on 188/4, with a lead of 561. The students had bowled better than they’d batted, but that isn’t really praise.

Harris and Sandhu opened the bowling for us in the final innings, and with the first ball of the second over, Sandhu dismissed the redoubtable Leach leg before for zero. Hughes came in at number three, and showed a vast improvement in his batting this time round, even managing a few boundaries. He and Marriott remained unbeaten at the close, with Oxford on 34/1.

I made my way back to the bus station via the Grapes in George Street and reflected on the day. Some good bowling by us, but it was against some pretty dire batting. I also had my first opportunity to witness  Harry Podmore’s bowling. He’s tall and rangy, and mixed his deliveries up well. He has a well disguised short ball which caused the batsmen trouble at times, but if I’m to be critical, he needs to make the batsmen play more.

My final thought must be to question the value of such fixtures. Looking at Oxford’s line up in the early season games against Notts and Warwicks, there were a fair few missing against us, presumably as it’s getting near to end of term. However, I’m sure the likes of Sandhu, Gubbins and Podmore face stronger opposition when playing for the seconds and also when turning out for their clubs at the weekend.