View From the Bowlers' Bar

View From the Bowlers’ Bar – Day 2 Middlesex v Kent

 

Our intrepid reporter, Ged Ladd, spent the whole of Day 2 in the Bowlers’ Bar (well, someone has to do it) to enable him to report on Middlesex’s bowling performance today.  It has to be said that his attention to detail seems to diminish as the day goes on, for some reason, but this piece offers a fascinating insight into the inner workings of Middlesex’s new bowling engine, although mercifully little insight into the workings of Ged’s beer drinking engine.

 

 

Silver Machine

 

From the first half hour of play, Silverwood was the stand-out pace bowler of the day.  He looked like possibly taking a wicket 2 or 3 times each over and troubled both openers, especially Key who looked out of sorts.  Indeed, when Silverwood dismissed Key, one Kent wag suggested that “Key-Lite” (by gosh, he’s lost some weight) was not Key at all but a slimmer body double sent to bat in place of Key.  “In which case he’s not a very good body double”, Ged pointed out, helpfully.   

 

Silverwood mercifully removed the dangerous van Jaarsveld towards the end of his after-lunch spell, a dismissal that precipitated the excellent sequence of wickets between lunch and tea.  Ged seeks personal credit for Silverwood’s third wicket.  As tea approached and Kent were stubbornly 7 down, Ged announced that Ali should be replaced at the Nursery End by Silverwood for a short pre-tea spell.  As so often on these successful occasions, Ben Hutton got the signal from Ged and heeded the advice.  And that was the end of Simon Cook for 6. 

 

Silverwood’s Stats: 17 overs, 3 maidens, 55 runs, 3 wickets (could have had more).

 

Ged’s verdict: helpful conditions, granted, but consistent bowling of this quality from several bowlers could win us the championship.

 

 

Chris Silverwood:

Yes, he dresses like a second hand car salesman, but this suit can bowl.

 

 

Swing Louw

 

Let’s hope we look back on this innings as one of Johann’s lows.  He looked like the support act throughout the opening salvos and at no point did he look very threatening during the day.  A few good balls, granted, but really not his day.  Perhaps the conditions didn’t play to his strengths as much as they did to others, perhaps just an off day.  Second dig might be different.  One friend of a Kent persuasion bet me that Louw would not be one of Middlesex’s top 3 bowlers in 2006.  I accepted the bet (can’t judge a fellow on one performance), so I have a lot at stake in backing Louw at this stage.  I won’t disclose the exact nature of the bet, but let’s just say that it is akin to one of Ged’s small competition prizes (and not cricket-related as it happens) rather than grubby cash.

 

Louw’s Stats: 20 overs, 5 maidens, 69 runs, 1 wicket.

Ged’s verdict: too many leave balls and four balls, not enough “phwarr” balls.  But his time should come soon.

 

 

 

Johann Louw:

With a sweet smile like that, how could you possibly fear his bowling?  Nice blazer.

 

 

Wright Here, Right Now

 

Wright looked….well…….right, at first.  He helped to create some real pressure by bowling tight, which frustrated Fulton into playing a poor shot.  But after lunch he started to bowl four balls at just the wrong time, pressure-wise.  I question his ability currently to bowl several spells of high quality in a day; an observation I made last season when I saw him bowl against Surrey.  He didn’t break anyone’s hand today and he did look more convincing at times than he looked last season. 

 

Wright’s Stats: 15 overs, 3 maidens, 64 runs, 1 wicket.

Ged’s verdict: There’s clearly real talent there, but he still needs more experience under his belt before he can press for a regular 1^st team place.

 

 

Chris Wright:

Rehearsing the Willis Grimace

 

Ali Ooop

 

Mohammad Ali is the hardest of the bowlers for me to assess [Editor’s interjection: that’s because you were already under the table when he came on to bowl, Ged] as his performance was really hit and miss.  A real mixture of excellent balls, buffet balls and 6 no-balls (which is 6 too many).   He looks very fit and full of heart.  That left-armer quality with the slope adds more stuff for batsmen to think about.  He looked like getting O’Brien for a while going across his bows and then, hey presto.  The Walker wicket was a bit of a gift, but 2 were his due today.

 

Mohammad Ali: 13.5 overs, 2 maidens, 71 runs, 2 wickets.

Ged’s verdict: Curate’s egg performance.  If Embers can  minimise the negative and accentuate the positive, this signing could be really good news for us.

 

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Mohammad Ali:

Lord’s sure beats Derby in April

 

You Spin Me Round

 

Ged hardly noticed Jamie Dalrymple’s performance.  The ball didn’t seem to be doing much for him.  Yet the batsmen didn’t seem to be doing much to him.  I realised that he was using flight well; often deceiving or at least restricting the batsmen, mixing it up.  It was only after the innings ended I realised that he had taken 3 vital wickets and bowled 17 mean overs (at less than twos).

 

Jamie Dalrymple: 17 overs, 6 maidens, 33 runs, 3 wickets.

Ged’s verdict: This sort of spin bowling performance is exactly what we need from Jamie D.  Where on earth did he learn to bowl off-spin on unhelpful wickets like this?  Top bowling for the circumstances.

 

 

Jamie Dalrymple:

His bowling performance today deserves a better photo than this one

 

Conclusion

 

At the start of play this match was poised, at the end of play it is still poised.  The bowlers have put Middlesex into a reasonable position.  If the batsmen can make the most of it tomorrow, Middlesex can win from here.  We need to give the bowlers enough to bowl at second dig.  A target of 300+ should be challenging for Kent batting last on the final day.  But don’t expect this track to get much worse – it might even settle down a bit tomorrow and Saturday.