Ballance tipped in our favour but Leaning towards Yorkies

R&O reports on a nightmare journey and overnight stay. However, we hear of some thrilling cricket, with the initiative constantly changing. Thanks for the effort under the circumstances. 

Middlesex fought back well on the afternoon of the first day at a sunny Headingley to leave Yorkshire on 96/4 in reply to our first innings total of 212 all out. A gritty 70 by Nick Compton was the mainstay of an innings where batting appeared difficult in the face of some fine Yorkshire bowling, the pick of whom was Jack Brooks, who returned 5/44. However our pace trio of Murtagh, Roland-Jones and Harris made inroads into the batting of the champions, leaving the game evenly poised going into day two.

After an enjoyable but tiring trip to the Aegeas Bowl, I decided to pass up an opportunity to see our defeat at Cardiff. The prospect of traffic delays due to One Direction performing in the Principality swayed my decision and having listened to the radio commentary, I was mighty glad to have avoided more T20 gloom.

My plan was to fly with Mrs RaO to Leeds/Bradford on Saturday afternoon, have a pleasant meal in Leeds in the evening and attend cricket on the Sunday. Alas, our flight was twice unable to land due to high winds and we were sent back to Heathrow. To add insult to injury, my bag was lost as it never actually made the flight and we were accommodated by British Airways at the Park Inn at Heathrow. This was a truly miserable experience and all I can say about the dreadful restaurant there is that its name - Bravo ! Bravo ! - can only be because Dwayne and Darren are the resident chefs.

In the end, the next morning, Mrs RaO opted for a return to Ruislip and I took the 7.55 flight to Leeds to meet my Yorkshire based cousin for the cricket. We sat in the Lower North East stand and discovered that Middlesex had won the toss and elected to bat. Robbo and Joe Burns opened for us and Jack Brooks and Tim Bresnan started the bowling for Yorkshire. Burns had an early let off when his edge was left by Jonny Bairstow when it looked like he should have pouched it. Bairstow then conceded four byes but Brooks' luck soon changed when he snared Burns leg before for four and we were 6/1 in the fourth over.

Nick Compton came in at number three and found run scoring difficult against some challenging bowling, particularly from Brooks. Robbo was managing to score runs, although several of them were from the edge of the bat. However, we managed to survive until Brooks changed to the Pavilion end and he bowled Robbo who had made 41 leaving us on 68/2.

Mala now made his return to red ball cricket and struck a couple of fine off side shots to the boundary for four. We took lunch on 82/2 and my cousin and I adjourned to the Arcadia bar for some Yorkshire ale.

A slightly tardy return to the ground found us now 92/4, with AC and Dex victims of catches behind off Patterson and Brooks respectively. Franklin joined Compo at the crease and he was soon facing Aussie one-day hot shot Glenn Maxwell. His seemingly innocuous off breaks were soon to put us further on the back foot as he had the captain caught by Leaning at short leg off bat and pad then gained an LBW decision against Simmo who lasted just two balls. I

I'm sure 119/6 was not what we expected when deciding to bat but Ollie came in and hit a series of boundaries off Maxwell. However, the man from Melbourne had the last laugh as he bowled Ollie for 20 and we were in dire straits at 147/7.

Compo had battled away gamely and managed to increase his scoring rate. With him at the crease, there was still a hope of us making a respectable score, when, inevitably, he lost his wicket to an excellent catch by Jack Leaning at third slip off the bowling of Brooks. He dived full length to his right and managed to keep hold of the ball at the second attempt when it looked certain that he must spill it.

We looked unlikely to reach 200 for a batting point, but some decent tail end hitting by Harry and Murts meant we finished all out for 212 in the 69th over. Yorkshire had bowled well and we waited to see if we could match them with the ball.

Tea had been delayed due to our last wicket stand and opening batsmen Alex Lees and Adam Lyth looked to establish a healthy advantage for the Yorkshiremen after the break. Murts and TR-J opened the bowling for us, but the batting duo raced off to a good start, scoring at over six an over initially with some good stroke play. Out of the blue, both openers were suddenly back in the pavilion. Ollie took both catches at second slip off TR-J and Murts respectively. Unfortunately, he could not hold on to a third chance off Gale, but the out-of-sorts Ballance was soon out for just a single, falling leg before to Dial M. Harry soon trapped Gale LBW and 29/0 had quite quickly become 52/4. Jonny Bairstow initially looked insecure with a few edges, but he and Jack Leaning steadied their ship with an unbeaten 44 run partnership.

It had been another good advertisement for four day cricket and it looks likely that there will be just one unbeaten team in Division One in a few days time. Those of you attending over the next couple of days should witness some very interesting cricket.

My journey back home was less eventful than the outbound, although I am typing this from the comfort of a U3 bus.

Positives - fine weather, good bowling by both sides and an important, patient knock by Compo.

Negatives - traditional middle order collapse, flight not reaching Leeds and eating at Bravo ! Bravo ! restaurant. I wonder if Willie Walsh and his executive chums dine there when their flight gets delayed ?