Hope and Glory beckon in Chelmsford

Our intrepid reporter has swopped the glamour of ABu Dhabi for the travails of Transport for London and the wilds of Essex to bring us the latest instalment of the Middlesex preseason as he tells us abotu the 2nd day of the friendly with Essex. Only it is not really the 2nd day but anoher match of sorts. At least there are no winners or losers and we get a travelogue and local pub guide as well as the cricket. Thanks for this dedication to travel on behalf of Middlesex.

The start of my journey to Chelmsford involved a rush hour Metropolitan line tube to Liverpool Street. I'd almost forgotten how unpleasant peak time travel is on London Underground and I couldn't get a seat at Ruislip Manor although I did manage to nab one at Finchley Road. The onward journey to Chelmsford was uneventful although it did involve passing West Ham's future stadium at Stratford.

The weather in Essex was remarkably sunny albeit with a chill in the air. I took a seat in the upper tier of the Tom Pearce stand and discovered that it was going to be a completely new game today, with us batting first for 50 overs and our hosts having a bash over 34 overs in the afternoon. Nick Gubbins faced the first ball from David Masters bowling from the River End. He got us up and running with a pushed single to mid off from the fourth ball but fellow opener Sam Robson fell to the very next ball, popping up a catch to Kishen Velani at short leg and we were 1/1.

Steve Eskinazi was next man in and he steered his first ball through gully for a single to end an eventful first over. Jamie Porter operated at the Hayes Close end and Esky guided him between slips and gully in the fourth over for our first boundary. The pitch had a greenish hue and run scoring was at a premium, especially against the experienced Masters. We almost doubled our score in the eighth over with an Eskinazi straight drive for four and a pull for three plus a Gubbo single after which we were 18/1.

Graham Napier replaced Porter at the Hayes Close end and kept it quite tight too, although he went for four byes when he strayed down leg side in his second over. Slow bowler Tom Westley replaced the economical Masters and Gubbo and Esky were looking solid but struggling to score.
Gubbo broke the shackles at last when he cut Napier square for a boundary in the fourteenth over. However, Eskinazi lost his wicket two overs later when he fell leg before to Napier for 16 and we were 32/2. Dawid Malan was next at the crease and immediately opened his account with two runs, pushing Napier through the covers. Napier went around the wicket in his next over and Gubbo took advantage of this, driving him through the off side for four.

Mala looking good

Mala then played arguably the two best shots of the day, with a couple of exquisite drives through extra cover to the boundary off the lively looking Tom Moore. After Gubbo and AC notched a four apiece from Moore in the 21st over, there was a moment of slight controversy when Malan flicked Westley to Moore at mid wicket. It certainly looked like a bump ball, but that didn't stop James Foster from appealing (admittedly on his own). Mala stood his ground and not out was the verdict.

Moore had looked the quickest of the Essex attack and he got one to lift and take the edge of Gubbins' bat with Foster taking the catch behind. We were now 60/3 in the 23rd over with Gubbo having worked hard to make 26. Dex was next man in and he soon registered a couple of boundaries. One was a nice square cut off Moore and the other a fortuitous edge off Porter. The unfortunate Porter then saw AC slice one over Browne at third slip for four, but our captain then played a more authentic shot, driving another Porter delivery over Napier in the covers to the boundary. Porter eventually got his reward just before lunch when Dex tickled one to Foster when on 17 and we went in to lunch on 95/4 after 33 overs.

Those of you who are real ale aficionados and have been to Chelmsford before will know that there are two pubs, namely the Queen's Head and the Orange Tree, that serve good beer and are not far from the ground. My Good Beer Guide application on my 'phone, however, suggested that an establishment called the Ivory Peg was nearer, so I headed there for lunchtime refreshment. Another schoolboy error by me as it was one of those newish, airport departure lounge style Weatherspoons pubs. My pint - Brentwood Hope & Glory - was cheap and good but I gulped it down quickly as for some reason, the film 'Deliverance' was coming to mind.

For once I managed to get back to the ground in time for resumption of play and Simmo clipped the first ball off Napier to the boundary through mid wicket. Mala brought up 100 for us with a single to leg off Masters but we lost our next wicket with the first ball from Greg Smith, who sent Simmo's off stump tumbling for six and were 108/5. George Scott came in at number seven but did not last long, edging Napier to Pettini for four. However, Harry Podmore joined the captain at crease and the pair of them batted well to reach the close at 158/6. Mala was unbeaten on 57 (his fifty came from 82 balls with seven fours) and a very good 30 from Poddy, although he did survive several LBW appeals. David Masters returned figures of 1/13 from 11 overs.

Tim Murtagh opened the bowling for us from the River End and commenced with a fine maiden over to Nick Browne. James Harris was Murts' opening partner from the Hayes Close end and he started in sensational fashion with a fast yorker that was too good for Tom Westley. It got even better three balls later when he elicited an edge from Jake Mickleburgh and Ollie took a comfortable catch at second slip. Essex were 0/2 after two overs.

Browne got Essex off the mark in the next over with a edge past Sam at third slip to the boundary. Scoring again was difficult for Browne and the incoming Daniel Lawrence, but Browne was able to just clear Poddy at extra cover in the fifth over to register a boundary, leaving our hosts on 10/2.
Lawrence upped the ante in the tenth over, pulling Harris square for six then edging one that also made the boundary. Harry Podmore and Tom Helm relieved Dial M and Harry of bowling duties from the eleventh over. Poddy trapped Lawrence leg before in the thirteenth over for 14, with Essex now 31/3. Captain Foster was next in and he drove his first ball from Podmore to the boundary for four.

Browne had now settled in but Tom Helm was bowling with good economy. We turned to the spin options of Ravi Patel and Ollie Rayner from the 21st over and although Browne dispatched Ollie for a straight six then a cover drive for four, the Ollster hit back by having Foster caught by Robbo. Our opponents were now 74/4 in the 26th over, but this brought Kishen Velani to the crease. This lad was very impressive with the bat and played a wide range of aggressive shots ending up with an undefeated 27 from 31 balls. Browne finished one short of a half century from 104 balls and Essex closed on 121/4 from 34 overs. Pick of our bowlers were James Harris with 2/14 and Tom Helm 0/5, both from five overs.

I concluded my day by visiting the previously mentioned Queen's Head and Orange Tree. At no point did I feel that I might have to squeal like a pig in either establishment.