Slow Burns leads to an overrated day.
We've been here before
By Leprechaun
June 24 2015
Leprechaun writes about one of the least memorable days of our season when the main interest lay in rescuing the match and the over rate.. But we do get some sidelines regarding ice lollies, stop watches and secret gardens.
My decision to go today was made when we were only three wickets down at close yesterday and there was a faint (yes I know very faint) chance of a fourth day spectacular. And there was always the over rate issue to add some drama to the day. But my cause was not helped when I chose the longest way to travel to Uxbridge and Paul Stirling was out somewhere around Earls Court. From there to Uxbridge (a long way on the Piccadilly Line) we only scored about twenty runs, though from the commentary we did not seem in great trouble. But spectacular was not the way the day sounded like it was shaping.
And so it proved. There was a brief flurry of runs after I arrived, with Jo Burns taking a liking to one over in particular from Moeen, which meant that nearing lunch, we had scored over a hundred runs which gave us more of a lead at that point then I expected. Had Jo Burns still been there maybe we could have thought of setting something out. But close to lunch he fell on the Australian equivalent of Nelson – 87 when he hoicked a ball to Leach who stuck to it. Four inches higher and/or wider and it was a 6. He has looked good in this match. And when Simmo and Ollie Rayner were both out not long after lunch and with the score barely advanced any chance of a positive declaration went out the window. All that was left was to get to the point where we could declare with Worcester not able to win but with enough time to bowl the overs we needed to rescue the over rate. That job was achieved with considerable ease and application by Franklin and Harris who is making a grand name for him self saving matches. And Franklin is certainly justifying his signing with his batting, if not his bowling.
The odd ball popped or kept low but there was nothing to give any idea that we could not survive and certainly nothing to give any hope that Worcester might have a spectacular collapse. So all that was left to do in the afternoon was work out when a declaration might come and discuss what rules there might be about tea times on the last day: If were bowled out; had nine wickets down or declared before the interval was due. That was interspersed with various trips to the ice cream van that does a nice line in banana lollies and the bar – well you probably know what that does a nice line in. There was also some speculation about where – if anywhere – the Middlesex gardens are at Lords (read the Chris Rogers story) Well it was a hot and sunny afternoon and the cricket was not exactly scintillating.
Our new opening bowler
The declaration came a bit after tea and out came the overs board – minus 3. Worcester were probably +10 or so. Out came the Worcester batsmen, on came the Middlesex opening bowlers – Stirlo and Ollie. And with it the sense of urgency that so often seems to lacking when we are bowling in earnest. And out came the stop watch. Timing was a bit confused by a spectator taking time to get the ball back after it bounced on the boundary, and an unintentional wicket – good catch by Compo in the slips, but we still bowled nine overs in around 20 minutes. The minus on the overrate went down after every three or so overs we bowled, and we were then able to watch Robbo and Comp to bowl the last couple of overs which took us to 5pm. Which begs the question – if it is that easy to get the over rate back why don’t we just bring a slow bowler on for a bit when the over rate slips. They might even get an unintentional wicket as well. Better still why don’t we make sure we don’t get in this mess again.
Comp0 and Robbo bowling
It was all a bit farcical and not a good advert for 4 day cricket. The wicket, possibly the loss of time on Monday and that overrate all conspired against this match. Hope the new ECB Chairman was not watching.
Positives:
Joe Burns batting
James Harris batting
James Franklin batting
Negatives:
That over rate
ITV sniffing aroung suporters for Chris Rogers quites
That over rate
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:06:25:23:53:22 by BarmierKev.
A day on the Circle Line might have been more enjoyable!
What worried me from my Teletext angle was I thought Franklin was batting for his ton and then declare. So was relieved about his selfless gesture. On saying that this over rate business is beyond a joke.
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
For a free entry day, not a bad crowd turned up.
A note about James Harris, as our reporter has also said..he is turning into a good match saving batsman, who, after last season and the injury nightmare has turned a corner and looking a good player.
I would allow 14 overs per hour for the first innings without penalty. If "enough" overs are bowled in the second innings, I would stick with an overall 16, but if not, a weighted average of 14 (for the first innings) and 18 (for the second) should be used. So if 80 overs were bowled at 14 oph in the first innings and 20 in the second at 18 oph the target should be 0.8 * 14 + 0.2 * 18, which I think comes to 14.8. If there is only one innings, 14 would be fine.
I would not alter the number of overs to be bowled in a day.
Adelaide
In the current match, our first innings shortfall would have been -1, less worrying than -3. You wouldn't then have had the farce of the Worcester second innings - at least not so much of it. We would also have avoided a deduction at Hove last year, which essentially came about because we collapsed in the second dig and could not put it right.
Having said that, we avoided a points deduction on first innings alone when it really mattered at Old Trafford last year, so I have sympathy with what you are saying!
Adelaide