Rain, rain, hop off to Hove

London Leprechan gives us another report of a house bound day with cricket on TV, radio and internet radio. A frustrating day for the Middle and,  llke the day, the report is a bit truncated and a bit featureless.

After a bit of early morning work, I switch on the internet radio to hear that there is no cricket and a very confusing conversation between the Durham and Middlesex commentators.  Sounds like there has been a rain squall as we have had a toss and we have been put in but there is no play.  It’s only a short delay though so it’s a race for me to get from my work computer to the radio. When I say race I mean a speedy hop, interrupted by a phone call.  By the time I get to the other laptop I see we have had another interruption, but we are back on again and so far so good.  Also keeping an eye on Sussex/Yorkshire.  See  Yorkshire are two down but that good news is tempered as Stirlo goes early. Should Compo have opened in what sounds like difficult batting conditions?

At least the Test is meandering a bit though I see Finny coming on to bowl.  Middlesex to Middlesex there. Three matches to keep an eye on: this could get confusing.

Wickets falling in the wrong place – they need to go at the Oval and Hove but Robbo going cheaply is not a good sign; good toss to win by the sound of it. Especially when Mala is out cheaply and big trouble is looming.  This match may not go the distance. Let’s hope it’s the same when we bowl;which may not be that long! Meanwhile Yorkshire are recovering and Finny takes a wicket with a huge no ball. 2^nd time in a Test match; he never used to bowl them! But he gets his 100^th soon after.  Well done Finny. How many more might he have had but for all the messing about with him.

An interruption for a visitor brings no wicket notifications other then Aussie ones; so it look a bit better when I check the score; only for a wicket to fall straightaway. 

Get to listen again properly a while after lunch and it sounds calmer; a good chance for Neil Dexter to get some runs.  Commentary is talking about Compton and Edrich days so maybe less alarms at the moment.  And Yorkshire have lost 4 wickets; so things are looking up.  We even get an all run four.  There are also some very wide balls some of which are called and some not, including one ball beautifully described as wider then that Harmisson ball at Brisbane all those years ago. Extras might yet play a part in this innings. 

But we gift a wicket with a poor leg side shot from Compo (say the commentators – not me!) and we are back in a bit of strife.  Maybe saved by the rain which my weeather app tells me is set on and off for a couple of hours. Time for some physio.  

Sadly my rain app is accurate and that is it for the day.  Frustrating in many senses.  It gives me the chance to watch the Test match and the nonsense of the no balls.  The Aussies are bowling many huge no balls which are not being called.  Umpires seem only to check no balls when there is a wicket, which is not right. Point proven again at the end when another wicket is not given because of a huge no ball. 3^rd umpires should call the no balls if the standing umpires can’t see.

And Yorkshire have had a good day in the end. Rain has not been kind to us this year.