Ruby and I got to the ground just in time to see Marshall depart, bowled by Finn caught Scott. Oops, that's one wicket and an hour of play we missed. Still, there will be a whole afternoon for Middlesex to bowl Glos out cheaply and then get a much-needed win. Won't there? It was actually quite sunny when we arrived, which made a nice change after Friday (not the most exciting day I've ever spent at cricket) so we began to hope that maybe the weather forecast was wrong. Although apparently there had already been one rain delay. Porterfield reached his 50 just before lunch (and on his birthday too) although Gidman was very slow to get off the mark, much like Marshall in the first innings. Finny and Richo were bowling in tandem, accurately and economically but unfortunately not penetratingly enough. Shaggy brought himself and TSO on just before lunch, and conceded few runs but also didn't look like getting a wicket either. At lunch, which happened on time, Gloucestershire were ten ahead on 105-2. The sight of Lewis bowling warm-ups through the lunch interval made us hopeful that some agreement had been reached to force a result

The players came out after lunch, which had been drizzly but not too bad, but before a ball had been bowled - Shaggy hadn't even set his field fully - it started to pour again and they went straight back off. The covers came on quickly (the grounds men were certainly earning their wages today) and the rain, rather depressingly, persisted - not always heavily, but enough to make play impossible. Just after two, it had been dry for a sufficient period for the umpires to come out and inspect; whatever they saw wasn't quite good enough as they decided to take an early tea at 2.40 and resume play at three. The few remaining spectators were extremely frustrated. Few is not an exaggeration - we counted one person in the Warner Stand, possibly thirty around us in the lower Allen and maybe half a dozen in the Mound Stand. However, the tours of Lord's were extremely well attended - maybe some supporters were using them as an excuse to walk around and keep warm? Or maybe they had the sense to take shelter in the Pavilion.

The five minute bell rang and, as predicted, it started to rain. Fortunately this downpour, although heavy, was only a shower and play was finally able to resume at about quarter past three. Some of the warm-ups (Joyce and Morgan) had made us anticipate some possible declaration bowling but it was Finny and Richo who started, carrying on much as they had before. Finny got Gidman for only 3 a few overs in, but Chris Taylor and Porterfield were soon scoring quicker than they had all day and it looked as if a result might, just, be possible. When Porterfield was out lbw by Malan in his first over, we hoped that Lewis might promote himself up the order to continue his war of words and bat-waving at young Billy, just to provide us with some entertainment, but it was not to be.

 Although when Shaggy, in a brilliantly improvisatory/desperate last gasp (delete as applicable) captaincy decision decided to let Strauss have a bowl, which was sufficient entertainment for us. I've never heard a bowler be sledged by his own team so much (Mr Murtagh, Mr Richardson, I am looking at you). Straussy didn't do too badly - he went for five. But the best was yet to come. A slight delay drew the eye to the Nursery End stumps where it became apparent that Shaggy's brilliance/desperation/sense of humour knew no bounds. Scotty was taking off his pads preparatory to bowling, and Captain M was getting ready to keep. This actually drew a round of applause from the Allen stand. Sadly, the rain came in after Ben had only bowled three balls, and while this did give us the opportunity to witness the most bizarre appeal I have ever seen from a keeper, even a part-time one (hold hands directly above one's head and jump up and down on the spot) the Gloucestershire balcony were obviously afraid of what Shaggy would come up with next (I think he'd have let Morgs bowl; he was so full of energy he needed to get rid of it somehow) that the draw was offered and accepted. It was about four o'clock. Let's hope for better weather tomorrow. 

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