Weather:

Early morning start: overcast and gloomy.

Travel:

Left Eastcote at 8.45: got to ground at 9.45. Told gates open at 10.00am. On seeing Don Shelley, discovered that start time for FPT has been moved to 12.00 mid-day from 10.45. Don said change was publicised. I missed that. It did explain why the Northern Line and approaches to the ground were deserted. C'est la vie as the English say.

Ground:

Entered at 10a.m. Price £12. For that though, was able to access the John Major Lounge and took seat outside in line with the wicket. This was easy as I was the only guy in the ground. Later it got quite congested. Potential punters be aware that entrance to the Brit Oval is at the Vauxhall End via the Alec Stewart Gate. Scorecard was available but with only the Brown Caps listed. Our line-up was still a work in progress, I guess. I knew that Scotty was keeping wicket. Net practice, fielding practice and various football matches commenced on the outfield by both teams. Middx were sporting their new List A shirts. Personally I like the pink quartered jobs.

Rule Changes:

Be aware the FPT now has three power plays. In the first two, two fielders are allowed outside the 30 yard circle. In the third however, three are permitted. Plus a new ball is available after 34 over in each innings. This has the effect of captains retaining overs for the opening bowlers in a different manner, than under the previous regime.

The Match:

Middlesex Innings. This was to be Andrew Strauss's day big time. And what finer place to answer his critics than at the Lair of the Surrey Brown hats. Butcher won the toss and elected to field, a move that was roundly condemned as the day wore on, by the Brown Hat aficionados, as their day went distinctly pear-shaped. The expected help from the overhead conditions never materialised. Collins and Dernbach opened their attack under leaden skies. However after the dismissal of Smith (comprehensively) by Dernbach for 4. Middx then embarked on a massive 143 run stand in the shape of Straussy and Ed J. Andy S was particularly severe on the 20/20 recruit Lewis and one over of Afzaal when the ball kept disappearing over the shortish leg side boundary. Ed J played a support role until giving a return catch to Schofield. Fall 155. Ed J 42. This didn’t avail the Brown Hat bowlers much though, as Andy S and Ace embarked on a further 98 run stand which took the Middx score to 253 at the 41 over mark. Strauss bowled by Jordan for a magnificent 163. More of that later. A short knock by Morgan (8) led to a loss of momentum for 4 or 5 overs as Scott and Berg departed without much addition to the score. The arrival of Dial M to partner Ace led to a revival with 28 coming off the last two overs, the last two balls being hammered by Dial M for a four and a six to bring up a final total of 315 for 6. Shah a disciplined 58 not out, Murts 14 not out.

Match Stats: our total of 315 for 6 was our highest List A score v Surrey. Beating our previous record of 304 for 7 (Oval 1995) which I was also privileged to see, winning 40 quid on a bet I had on Toby Radford to be our top scorer that day.

Straussey's knock. Our highest List A innings beating Graham Barlow's 158 v Lanky back in 1984. And that was some knock too. Again I saw that. Andy's 163 is also his highest personal List A score. The Surrey PA said it contained 22 fours and 6 sixes. All I can add, is that it was a majestic innings and he never looked in trouble from ball one. He treated the Surrey bowlers with equal disdain. Let us hope that he continues in that vein.

Pedro Collins was their best bowler and Schofield's figures were not bad, though he did have a tendency to make ridiculous LBW shouts where runs accrued to the batsmen. A catch behind shout was also wided by Umpire Hartley.

Surrey Innings: Benning and Newman opened for the Brown Hats and Murts and Finn opened our attack. Both teams used the first 20 overs to dispose of their power plays. At the 14 over mark Surrey were on 89 against our 75 at the same point. However by then Evans was in tandem with Shaggy. They initially had put a brake on Surrey's progress which led to a double wicket strike by Danny Evans in the 15th over. First to go was Benning for 47 rather comprehensively bowled and he was followed two balls later by Ramprakash (he was lucky to survive the 1st) when he characteristically played a ball off his hip into the waiting hands of Udal at deep fine leg. So a second ball duck for our former man. Surrey never fully recovered from the double wicket maiden. 89 for 2. Newman and Butcher took their score to 154 before Newman departed for 65 LBW to Udal. Bizarrely, The Shagster had dropped Newman from the previous ball from a relatively simple caught and bowled job. So no harm done. Scott, who kept wicket superbly standing up to Murtagh, got the next wicket stumping Afzaal. A further double wicket strike by Gareth Berg tilted the match irrevocably Middx's way when he removed Dernbach and Schofield with consecutive balls (near hatrick with 3rd ball) and Jordon edged behind off Evans. Surrey 187 for 7, game over. The rain came with the score at 204 and 4 overs were lost with Surrey requiring to get a revised D/L target of 307 off a further 9 overs with 3 wkts left. There were a few defiant clonks from Butcher and Lewis before Berg removed both to finish with 4 for 50 off his 7 allotted overs. A quadruple burgher I guess.

Match stats. Gareth Berg's addition to the our bowling attack was a huge bonus. Similar pace to Scotty Styris and not unlike him in build. Danny Evans carried on from the friendly last week (disguised as Steve Finn) and looked a threatening bowler. Shaggy's figures did not really do him justice either as Newman and Benning seemed all at sea against his spin. Scott kept wicket excellently standing up to both pace and spin. Finn, Murts and Ace all played their part in a great List A win against our nearest rivals.

One mystery for the many Middx aficionados present: was why Dial M was not promoted in the batting order given our strong position and the need to push on. An excellent win, especially after the disappointment at Grace Road. Still a lot of work to do though, if we are to qualify from ' The Group of Death '.

 Seaxe Man reporting from the John Major Lounge Brit Oval. Have a nice day lads and lasses.

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