20/20 Essex v Middlesex 15^th June 2008

Venue: Chelmsford

Obscure fact: the Romans built a small town called Caesaromagus which was a market town on the road between London and Colchester. The Roman town disappeared when the Romans left Britain. The modern town of Chelmsford was created in the Middle ages and was even mentioned in the Domesday book. The modern town centre belonged to the Bishop of London at that time.

Getting there:    It was fairly easy for me as I get a 149 bus to Liverpool St station and then a train to Chelmsford. Both times that I have been to Chelmsford this season I’ve been lucky and there has been No engineering work on that particular line. I caught the 11.32am train and was in Chelmsford at 12.15pm. I’ve been doing some locum work, so not having to watch the pennies as much as normal I treated myself to a taxi to the ground. I even found that my ‘complimentary’ ticket was waiting for me at the gate.

Normally Essex are not so fussy re time of letting people in, but today it was 12.30pm, so I duly joined a queue. When I got in the ground I sat in my ‘preferred’ position in front of the pavilion. The first thing that I noticed was that there was a very short boundary in front of the pavilion. The space on the outfield was made into a picnic area for families.

The Walking Wounded:  Ed Smith was still limping. I had a chat to him and he showed me his ankle. His leg was black and blue. He wanted to play today, and he still hopes to play tomorrow!

The replacements for Ed S and Strauss were Dan Housego and Billy Godleman.

One of the Lord’s pavilion stewards turned up. I almost didn’t recognise him as he did not have a tie on!

The toss:           Won by Ed Joyce who elected to field first.

It was overcast as I travelled up. Just before the start of the match the sun came out.

I felt a bit out of place as I could not see any other Middlesex fans where I was sitting, but one of the blokes I talk to at Essex is actually a Middlesex member also.

Nannes opened the bowling (from the Hays Rd end) to moans and groans from the Essex faithful for every ‘dot’ ball. They were even more upset when Gallian was bowled by the 5^th ball of his 1^st over.  Murts was expensive in comparison. Henderson immediately replaced Nannes for the 3^rd over and with his 5^th ball Scottie made a neat stumping of Middlebrook and Essex are 13/2. A lot of the Essex fans were commenting saying it was like ‘groundhog day!

It’s a hat trick!

Nannes then replaced Henderson at the Hayes Rd end. He bowled two dot balls, Chopra struck the next one for 4, and then came the clatter of wickets. Chopra was comprehensibly bowled. Flower was bowled next ball and the last ball of the over ten Doeschate was lbw for 0. At this stage Nannes bowling figures were 2 – 1 – 4 – 4. Essex are now 20/5.

Dexter and Foster tried to repair the damage and they managed to put on 22, when Scottie stumped Dexter off Kartik’s bowling. Masters also chipped in to repair the damage until he skied a Udal delivery which was neatly caught just inside the boundary by Morgan (89/7). Napier carried on where Masters left off, but he was bowled first ball of the 20 ^th over (bowled by Henderson). The 3^rd ball of Henderson’s last over accounted for Kaneria, with Chambers being run-out from the last ball of the innings.

We need 133 to win.

We opened with Billy and Dawid, who kept their heads and they gradually accelerated the run rate. Our 1^st wicket did not fall until we were on 43 when Malan was caught by Grant Flower off the bowling of Masters. Eoin tried his flick over the keepers head to be caught on the boundary by Napier off Chambers 1^st ball (49/2). In the same over Tyron smashed 3 consecutive 4’s taking Middlesex to 63/2.

In Chambers next over (the 10^th) there was a nasty mix up as both our batsmen ended up at the same end. Fortunately Essex were not quick enough and Billy got home without mishap. Tyron has smashed 31 off 10 deliveries!

Kaneiria bowled the 12^th over, and Chambers dropped a dolly of a catch from Tyron. By then Middlesex were 101/2 needing only 32.

Billy was bowled by ten Doeschate in the 13^th over and that was the last Middlesex wicket to fall. Ed Joyce joined The Blacksmith; Tyron’s 50 came up in 24 balls with 2 x 6’s and 7 x 4’s, and the winning runs were scored with the 1^st ball of the 17^th over.

Wow 23 balls to spare.

I can’t comment of the food as I always bring my own. Grodzinski  did me proud with the rolls that I ordered is all I can say.

My ‘champagne moment’ was Nannes hat trick, but my man of the match has to be Henderson for his all round performance.

Nannes came with his family. I’d been told his kids are cute. After the match he was playing cricket with his young son. The little boy kept running up to his dad without letting go of the ball.  [Editor's note: rumour has it that the Essex management, on witnessing this scene, have signed Nannes junior as a colt]

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