Yesterday was the sort of day I love at the cricket.  Sun out, game poised (even though a 50 run overnight lead looked ominous but we were certainly still in the game) and the freedom of Lord's.  

I like the 20-20, I don’t mind the FPT, I’ve got time for the Pro 40 but the CC is where the heart is.      Unfortunately the day turned into a bit of a Tim Burton film.   The candy covered coating was good though – met up with the boys at the Welly gates and sauntered in – we discussed the fragility of the batting order (undoubtedly as some of my fellow MTWDers would suggest in an “ignorant and uninformed” manner) but as simple peasants we really don’t know much better

The boding was well and truly fored from the off.  The Pears put on another 11 before TSO had Arif lbw to leave them 61 up which looked well ‘andy in the circumstances.  I think most other counties sense Middlesex’s vulnerability these days and with an unsettled and uncertain top order they capitalised again. Firstly though, fair play to Joyce for fronting up to open which is right and proper because Malan was dying there.  The procession began as Joyce edged Ali to the keeper after facing three odd balls, Compo hung round a bit longer than he usually does and did his average some good by scoring 3 but he departed in a similar fashion not long after.  And just to prove that God doesn’t give a sucker an even break Shah shattered Captain’s stumps with Morgan out of his ground.  If that was unlucky the rest was pretty bad. 

The good news was lunch in the Clifton which is a top boozer these days. It’s a bit of a hike up the well tended uplands of SJW but worth it.  I wonder what the locals think of the Kate Moss coterie on their doorsteps as I’ve read she’s in there oft and frequent. I suppose if it’s good enough for Eddie and Lily Langtry it’s good enough for the face of Lifebuoy soap or whatever she is.  And she’s not Amy Winehouse who might be a bit more of a ‘challenging’ local.  They had some excellent Sharps Cornish bitter on and with Erdinger and San Miguel on a lovely sunny afternoon we are back in the pink before long.   The lunch didn’t seem part of the same day that had the carnage to follow down the road.

Back to the HQ, Upper Mound to watch the two standouts on sorry day take our score along quite nicely with both Scott (who is having a fine season) and Malan hitting half centuries. The introduction of strawberry head Batty changed the game.  Without seeming to do anything whatsoever he took 5 wickets in the blink of an eye. He got Scotty to edge to Hick close in, the first innings hero Shaggy popped one up to mid wicket, a dolly return catch off Dawid and it was all over bar the wriggling.  We wriggled a bit and then TSO took a frankly ludicrous charge down the wicket at Batty and sliced to Ali.  ASBO was caught by the keeper and Finn was comprehensively beaten by Andrews to wrap up a sorry day for Middlesex.  164 all out was as poor a performance as I have seen Middlesex put in for a long time.

The team is rudderless. It lacks leadership. Too many are paralysed by indecision. We are all over the place. The middle order is routinely exposed to the new ball. Compton has had it I think. A nice guy by all accounts but its torture watching him just now. Billy G has to come back.   

The received wisdom is that Ed0 will make a difference when he comes back but I’m not so sure (although that will probably get filed under ignorant and uninformed as well…) He doesn’t inspire me and from my where I’ve been sitting over the past year and a bit he doesn’t inspire the team.  He might lead by example but if he is to he is going to have to play a lot better first innings than he did in ’07.   

Irrespective of all that our top order failure is endemic but it didn’t start today and it didn’t start with the larruping by Warks last week.  It’s been there for a good two years and it’s not getting any better; I agree with fellow posters in that I think that there is a nucleus and some good young talent but if we keep exposing good young players to horror shows like this their development will be seriously retarded (see Compton N.). Ideally you bring young players into a settled side. Ideally you bring then into a successful side. You try and bring them in when there is less pressure. You bring them in  gently. Middlesex are doing none of the above.  It might not be their fault and it might be a necessity but it’s painful.

You could see it in Worcs second dig. Finn and Evans tried hard but the game a shot. We had a15 man slip cordon and the ball routinely thumped the boards.  

We had a nice view of it from the virtually uninhabited Warner Upper.  They put us out of our misery and we trooped home. One last bright spark –the new pub at St Pancras is jolly good – John Betjeman – way better than the unlamented Shires. A stiffener before the agonies of First Capital Connect and much to ponder.

I think I am bracketed as one of the “moaning Jimmies” and fair play say I.  I go to cricket expecting Middlesex to win. I don’t mind when we lose because it is in the nature of sport that you win and lose. It’s the manner of losing that’s hard to take at times. I don’t mind being a Division 2 side. I simply want a competitive and committed team.  We don’t have that. That’s not a knee jerk reaction to yesterday.  It’s not a reaction to Warks. It’s not a reaction allowing a 10 and jack to bat out 22 overs. It’s been coming up the road a long time but there we are. We have to live with it and I’ll be back rain or shine but because that’s also the nature of it.  You have to believe that change is a-coming.   I firmly believe where here’s life there’s hope and the pulse still beats.

On to Saturday but when I think Di Venuto, Benkenstein, Stoneman, Harmison, Breese, and Smith I have a bit of a shudder. However we stuck it to Lanky and this is no different.

Believe boys.     

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