v Middlesex C&G @ Bath Sunday 18 June 2006

Scorecard

This is the only time we will probably meet the 'Sex this year, although a look at their forum suggests we'll see more of them in 2007 because they will be returning to the second tier in one form or the other.  Some of their problems mirror our own although there seems to be more discontent about the management of John Emburey.  Maybe we can all cry in our cideer about the state of our relative counties today while the game trundles to it's unimportant result in the shape of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

But this in not an unimportant game for us.  A win is necessary to get us ready for the next stage in the season - the 20/20.  That seems to be what the boys have been waiting for.  Short sharp cricket.  We also have an NCL campaign to plan and this is the last real chance to get a one day line-up that can do something with that.  The Bath square has been unpredictable over the last few days so we can only hope we win the toss and put them in before the sun comes out.  There's still the Ireland game next week but we really need to have a certain XI before then because that could be a lottery. 

Cameron White may have a decision about whether to play Richard Johnson today. Rumours are that he picked up an injury during the bowl out of the Surrey game so he may not be an option.  The question then is whether Dan Cullen will get his last chance to show us his prowess before he returns to Oz, probably for the duration of the season.  Justin Langer isn't available yet so the front end will probably look the same - without, hopefully the Gazzard pinch hitter option.  The definites will be;

Matt Wood, Arul Suppiah, Keith Parsons (although he wasn't used as a bowling option during the CC2 game and may be carrying a niggle), Cameron White, Carl Gazzard, Charl Willoughby.

Peter Trego will probably play after his heroics with the bat in the first innings and Andy Caddick will probably partner Charl with the ball.  That leaves two spots, one of which will go to either Johnno or Cullen.  It is overcast here in Gimblett country and there is the prospect of cloud and mybe drizzle.  My final choice would be Wes Durston.  The official body is keeping mum about the side and it would be a chance to try out some possibles for the 'slogfest' competition.  Gareth Andrew may get a look in if Johnno is not available and the pitch doesn't suit Cullen and Neil Edwards could, at a push, be brought in from the cold instead of Wes.  The first is a possible, the second highly unllikely.

Whether he gets a game today or not, we say goodbye to Dan C.  It probably hasn't been the greatest experience in his life and he hasn't really had a thorough grounding in the joys of an English domestic season.  The best is probably yet to come!  However, he has been a wholehearted member of the squad and now he is an honorary Somersetian we wish him all the best in his career - as long as he doesn't come back in an Ashes squad and nick them back from us.  Hope the A tour goes well Dan and we may yet see you in September!

The Game

Well, got a couple of thing wwrong in the side.  Hope the surprises have a good day.  John Francis returns to the one day setup, as part of a welcome rehabilitation I hope.  I missed Hidreth out!!  You know when you have that nagging feeling in your head that you've done something stupid but you just can't see it?  Gareth comes in for Trigger - sensible because PT may need the rest and GA needs the pitch time before the short stuff.  Caddy rests also as it seems whatever niggle Johnno did or didn't have on Friday is OK now so he partners Charl.  No spin from Cullen, Cameron goes with himself, Wes and Arul for that.  Middlesex won the toss and surprisingly decided to bat in overcast and breezy conditions.  I don't think Cam would have myself!

So the 'iffy'Sex face the best part of our bowling attack in the first 15 and we come out winners of that one as Johnson skittles Weekes for 10 and at the other end Willoughby does the same to Smith for 5 more.  Compton and Shah make a stand and we see a welcome addition to our attack as Gareth Andrew does what he did last year and takes wickets. Compton at 82 and, after the spin of Suppiah has accounted for Styris, the important Shah at 129.  This is very very good to see.

This is looking good as we rip out the heart of Middlesex's batting and get into the soft underbelly before they hit 150.  White actually decides not to stop and we see the back of Scott, caught behind, at 144 and then 2 balls later Louw who doesn't hit the ball in front of his stumps and suffers for it.  Well done skipper! Bring on Keith Parsons I say...lo and behold he arrives and Peploe leaves 3 balls later caught close in by Frank Junior. 145 for 8 isn't really a defendable target on the Rec I would suggest - I think Ali Brown would back me up on this observation.

Morgan tries to marshall what is left for some rearguard stuff and Chris Silverwood lasts a while but White has his fingers back by the look of it and he gets the ex-Tyke thanks to KP's hands at 158. The aptly named Mohammad Ali puts up a fight with Morgan who gets a valuable 50 before the balls run out with the 'Sex just over the 200 mark.  215?  We should get that.....shouldn't we?

Excellent figures from our guys today.  The pick White with 3 for 38 off his 10. Andrew's 2 for 46 is a big move in the right direction and sets him up for a good 20/20 campaign and some competition for that third/fourth seamer spot in the second half of the season.  The 37's for 1 from Johnno and Willough got the game off to a great start and the wickets of Suppiah and Parsons lent support.  Now we want to see John Francis and James Hildreth get in the runs and knock this off!!  Good first half boys...let's not copulate it up please!

Now I didn't go today because I was planning to stay over from Friday but family bereavement put an end to that.  I've driven over twice this week and decided that a dead rubber that would probably be low scoring against weak opposition was not that attractive.  I also drove back on Friday contemplating for the two hours why I actually had spent well over a decade reporting on matches that got right up my nose.  Thank God I didn't go today because unless someone writes and tells me of the great injustices done and the absoolute lack of luck I may very well wander down the bottom of the garden and consign my membership to my son's pile of GCSE books waiting to be set alight to.

Now here is the scenario.  We need to score 216 in 50 overs at 4.32 an over to win this game.  Two days ago on this pitch we allowed a lead of 350 slip through our grasp as the pitch flattened out.  The Middlesex bowling line-up is not stunning.  Obviously the conversation about strategy was along the lines of "let's get some time at the crease, don't go at it like a bull at a gate and we'll take this total in about 30 to 35 overs".

Out went John Francis who really could benefit from time at the crease and Matt Wood to do the job.  The Middlesex radion commentator actually said, after 10 overs, that even though we lost Wood to Louw at 39, we looked in no trouble and would take this total in the second half of the match.  John reached 51, a little slowly for my liking but it was solid and he needed that before he went to Peploe (who?) LBW at 100.  We expected Arul to anchor one end and let White and Hildreth put the pedal to the metal and push the rate along.  No worries even when Suppiah went at 140 c&b to this Peploe chappie. But when both the stroke men went at 141 and Whitey went stumped (please tell me he didn't give a man who has just taken a wicket the charge) then things started to get hairy.  But yes it was 141 for 5 but we only needed 75 runs to win.  Keith Parsons and Carl Gazzard could get them surely.  Well they went about it the right way and we thought that at 182 we were back in the trail.  The overs were decreasing at a worrying rate thanks to tight Middlesex bowling but it was an achievable target.  But Mohammad Ali seems to have had other ideas, taking KP c&b (second in the game?) and then dispatching Gazzard and Andrew before they'd even re-organised at 186.  Both castled and Andrew first ball!  So we're left with Wes Durston holding up one end scoring at a run every 2 balls and two bowlers.  One of whom can put bat to ball, but doesn't (Johnno lasted 3 balls and 3 runs) and one who really can't but seems to have had a jolly good go. 

It's down to runs versus balls with one wicket intact chasing a score of 216 off 300 balls.  We stay in but lose by 3 and Middlesex get home.  I know it means nothing in the C&G shape of things but someone please add some facts from the game to this analysis and make sense of it for me because I thought we were going to spend 2006 watching an exciting young side develop into something first class.  I seem to be reporting on a squad of players self-destructing at a rate of knots hoping for the second coming, in the shape of one Aussie batsman to get them out of the deepest mire.

I was reading the Middlesex forum last night and thanking my stars that we were in a better state than their supporters seemed to be over their season.  I think we've passed them on the way down after today.  Someone please tell me otherwise!  God help us against the Irish.

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