Middlesex turn up the heat in Abiu Dhabi

Rogers and Out has braved a trip to the heat of Abu Dhabi for the Middlesex preseason tour. Alongside a report on a welcome T20 Middlesex win we get film reviews, travel arrangements, art critiques and the perils of local taxi drivers. Thanks for this intrepid report.

Nice way to be welcomed

Pre-season matches invariably bring back memories of cold, inhospitable days at Merchant Taylor's school where only the very hardy could see out a full day's play. I also recall a practice match at Chelmsford when overcoat and thermal underwear were the order of the day and even then, I ended up watching from the pavilion. Therefore, when Middlesex announced their intention to have a few limited overs games in Abu Dhabi, I thought it was an opportunity to watch some cricket in warm conditions for once.
The tour did not clash with any footballing commitments, so I booked up to leave Blighty on the Monday and thus would be able to watch the T20 matches scheduled for the Tuesday and Wednesday. My flight back was booked for the early hours of Thursday morning. However, about a week or so ago, I noted on the website that our itinerary had changed and unless I stayed an extra day, I would get to see just one T20 match against MCC Universities. Whilst I have, on occasions, spent exorbitant sums to watch or participate in sporting activity, I felt I had no option but to bite the bullet and pay the not insubstantial extra fee to change my flight so that I could at least take in three games.
My flight was routine, the highlight being watching The Theory of Everything, which was very good indeed. With the changed itinerary, I now had a free day on my hands. Having been to the UAE many years ago with my family, I'd done the usual tourist stuff (shopping, desert safari, camel rides, jet skiing) so I took a cab into town to visit the Emirates Modern Art Gallery. There were some interesting paintings from local artists but incongruously, the showpiece was a life size skeleton of a junior Tyrannosaurus Rex called Tinker.
Wednesday finally arrived and I made my way to the Sheikh Zayed stadium by taxi. I'd heard that the ground was a bit off the beaten track so I opened negotiations with my cab driver on arrival at the ground about the return journey. He wasn't keen to come back but gave me a number to call when I wanted to return.
I had a brief chat with the redoubtable Don Shelley, who was getting set up for the game, as were the squad who were warming up (probably not the right term over here) on the outfield of the Nursery ground, where the match was taking place. I took up a position in the shade of the pavilion accompanied by a chap called Aziz from Peshawar and the grand-parents of Steve Leach, who was playing for MCCC. Steve had scored the bulk of Oxford's fifty odd runs in the game at the Parks last season.
Benefit Boy Murts was captain for the day, with Steve Eskinazi as 'keeper, even though Simmo was in the side too. Indeed, Robbo and Simmo opened the batting for us.  We made a brisk start, with Robbo, in particular, looking in good form. A straight six by Sam down the ground clearing the pavilion was the batting highlight of the day. Simmo was first man out with the score on 23 when he edged a leg side McKinley delivery to wicket keeper Wakefield. Dex was next man in and he looked a bit out of touch before a couple of boundaries helped steady the ship. However, he was soon snared by Mann who also quickly took Ryan Higgins' wicket and we were 71-3 at the halfway point.
Steve Eskinazi departed cheaply for three and it was Robbo who was keeping our innings alive with some fine strokes. However, when on 60, he tried to loft Watkinson for another six and Leach took a good catch at the second time of asking on the long off boundary. Nick Gubbins had dispatched a boundary high over the ropes before he faced a quite unusual over from slow bowler Jenkins. Jenkins managed to escape with two high full tosses that really should have been been no balls and to add salt to the wound, Gubbo chopped a later delivery on to his stumps. We were now 118-6 with just over three overs left. Ollie Rayner was responsible for us attaining a decent 167-7 at the close with some lusty hitting in an unbeaten 35 from just 16 balls. Harry Podmore was still there on 7, with TR-J out for five a bit earlier. Ollie confessed afterwards that he'd done a bit more running between wickets than he would have liked.

Solid bowling performance from the Middle

Murts and Toby opened the bowling for us and started with a maiden apiece. However, the MCCU openers hit back with Paternot slamming Poddy for several boundaries. They put on a creditable stand of 54, but Ravi and Ollie both slowed their scoring somewhat. Ravi bowled Paternot and he later had Leach caught by Robbo. Ollie took the wickets of Wakefield and George, caught by Gubbo and Dex respectively. The students were now 82-4 after 14 overs and victory looked to be ours. However, there was still some good batting to be seen by Davis, who ended up unbeaten on 30. He hit a fine straight six which was superbly caught one handed by the non playing James Harris when over the ropes. He did have to wring his hand afterwards though.
MCCU closed on 128-4, leaving us winners by 39 runs. Consecutive T20 wins - when did that last happen ?
However, my thoughts had now turned to getting back to my hotel. I dialled the cab number given to me and it was blocked ! I ended up asking my hotel to send a taxi out to the ground and had a pleasant journey back praising the Bangladeshi driver for his country's cricketing prowess. I'll leave it your imagination what I had to say about England's.