A Pain in the Harris

MTWD are grateful to Talliman for reporting on a most disappointing result. But yes hearing there were positives and just being back at cricket almost transcended the result. 

Games between Leicestershire and Middlesex over the last 15 years have often had some high scores in them. Think about the unbroken 360 run partnership between McDonald and a young James Taylor in 2010 or the interminably long partnership between Hylton Ackerman and Josh Cobb at Lord’s a few years earlier. If it’s not run scoring feats, it’s often heavy rain forcing a reduced game such as in 2019 or 2007 when little play is possible. All in all, matches against Leicestershire at Grace Road in the last 20 years have only produced a positive result for either side twice each from 8 games (excluding 2020’s cancelled tie). So with skies set fair, it felt like a game with some high scores likely. 

Organisation at Grace Road was good with fans allowed into a segment of the ground only with access to facilities and a bar. Unfortunately, the wonders of the Meet and it’d bookstall were off-limits due to it’s use as a changing room for the Leicestershire players. Middlesex were allowed the pavilion which was a lovely gesture. 

Day one started steadily under some cloud cover with a very youthful bowling attack from Middlesex selected; less than 200 first class wickets between them. The scoring was steady rather than spectacular, almost risk-averse to try and eke out the most from the pitch. 400 was seemingly on with the spinners starting their work early and the batsmen seemingly in no trouble. After lunch all this lovely work was undone with a collapse to 132/6. All the batsmen had made starts but none had gone on to score more than 20 or 30 except for the Good Ship Eskinazi. Simpson and Hollman rebuilt from this perilous position which felt like 200 would be all we’d get. Much credit must go to both batsmen but especially Hollman who looked secure and well organised at the crease in making his highest championship score to date as the pair added 90 for the 7th wicket. An overnight score of 260/7 made us all yearn for a 3rd batting point on a pitch which in the afternoon had looked tricky with Parkinson and Ackerman both bowling tightly and causing problems to the batsmen. 

Day two began with a lot of sunburn on my arms and legs and the arrival of a friend from London who I’d not seen in 9 months. In these strange times, it makes you so grateful just to see a friend and spend a day with them at the cricket. However, it also feels weird after so long of not seeing anyone bar the walls of your house. Still, the tail managed to eke out some runs with Simpson content to take singles on offer, trusting the tail to keep him company. Unfortunately, this didn’t hold with him finishing 95* and not making that 3rd batting point, 295 all out. Based on the results from the first day, this felt above par. That feeling was enhanced further as Leicestershire lost early wickets to Ethan Bamber; a bowler who has come on a lot since I’d last seen him bowl in 2019 when he seemed to spend more time bowling at a stump in intervals and not batsmen. Then Andersson was introduced into the attack and along with Helm soon had the home side 42/6 and a big lead in the offing. After this, wickets seemed hard to come by and a partnership between Parkinson and Hill and then Wright increased the score steadily until they were all out for 136. It was clear that once the new ball faded, wicket taking was much harder. Similarly, there wasn’t much movement on offer with most of the wickets lbw or caught behind to this point. Still, a lead of 159 was good enough to build a winning platform from especially if we could get through the new ball. The third innings flowed a little quicker than the 2 before it with the score reaching 57/1 off just 20 overs by the close. 

The third day became a battle of attrition with Leicestershire bowling tightly if untidily due to the number of extras conceded. Again, Middlesex batsmen often had starts but none went past 50. Handscomb didn’t look fluid at any time, unlike the first innings where there had often been some sublime shots. Instead, we were treated to a wonderful spell of bowling from the veteran Chris Wright which this author had first seen for Middlesex some years before!! His figures of 6/53 were a mastery of control and frugality when the fare from the other end was a lot easier. Again, all the wickets were lbw or caught near the wicket. Eskinazi top scored with 46 but 218ao and a total to win of 377 seemed a lot to get on that wicket. The run chase didn’t start well from Leicestershire with Hasan Azad again going early to Bamber – a rare wicket away from the slips – but a total of 75/1 at the close was eerily similar to a game a few years back. 

Mid-2018, Middlesex were on the end of a poor first two days at Grace Road with a first innings deficit of nearly 200 due to an Ackerman innings of 196*. Rumours of the riot act being read at the close of that 2nd day are not substantiated to this day but the team bowled much better to dismiss Leicestershire for 186 with Murtagh and Harris both taking 3; the latter bowling frugally and aggressively throughout. This left Middlesex needing 381 to win and finishing day 3 82/3 with Eskinazi and nightwatchman Ravi Patel not out at the close. This left a nerve-wracking final day with Patel batting for over an hour for 20, Eskinazi making 97 before being runout by Cartwright who himself made 80. Late order runs from Simpson and Harris got us close before the latter and Murtagh saw us home by a wicket. Would things repeat themselves? 

Back to the present day, day 4 started well with Helm dismissing Loughborough graduate Evans early on, Simpson taking the catch. The key bit here was that the ball was already 30 overs old and the pitch had been subjected to pure sun for 3 days (aside from a little shower at the start of day 3). The rest of the morning went from hopeful to ominous with balls only occasionally passing the bat and the crowd treated to some lovely shots from Aussie test player Harris with Ackerman playing more of a supporting role. They added around 90 in that morning session and continued in the same vein after the interval. Bowling seemed tight but the inexperience in the attack may have shown itself here on a pitch which had flattened out a lot. Little to fall back on for previous experience of such a situation and also playing 2 spinners on a pitch not now offering much against 2 batsmen who were content to wait for the loose ball. The hundred partnership came and went, then the 150 and the 200 partnership with some beautiful batting. Even the new ball couldn’t part them showing that what little movement had been there was now gone. Removing one’s partisan hat, it was a pleasure to watch after so long watching streams of the games and not being able to appreciate the mastery of a batsmen on-song bisecting the field almost at will. Harris bought up his hundred and then pushed onto 150 in more and more control. Ackerman’s hundred came up after a tense battle with the field bought in to stop him getting there. The partnership surpassed a 45 year old record for Leicestershire vs Middlesex of 236* before Harris fell to Walallawita for 185, Simpson taking the catch. Two more wickets fell in fairly close succession but crucially not Ackerman who led his side home by 5 wickets with 8 overs remaining in the game. A reverse of 2018 on a pitch which became more flatter as the game went on. 

It was a lovely 4 days even if the Covid regulations meant that the lunchtime perambulation was mainly in circles behind the allotted stand and shade was hard to come by even if it was needed. The result wasn’t good for the club and leaves us firmly in Division 3 contention come August. There were some positives in the game, Hollman’s batting, Bamber and Andersson’s bowling being some. I’d have loved to see the spinners bowl to try and win the game on a pitch which did more but they’ll learn from this I’m sure. However, above all, it was amazing to finally be out at the cricket, watching Middlesex and having those impromptu conversations with people and friends. The last year has been quite a horrid time for scores of us but that love of the game and just being back in the ground to watch transcends that disappointment to some degree.