1st Session

Arrived to note that Straussey had gone for 172 caught and bowled Panesar. He had not been best pleased to be forced off the previous day: where he had been on fire: and fancied a double ton. As it panned out: 177 in the NZ Test remains his 1st class best.

Apparently he was deceived in the flight and played too early. 329 for 2 on arrival. Shah 80 Morgan 18. The new ball had been taken: Crook/Lucas provided the attack: apparently Wigley is injured and out of the game. Morgan kicked off with a powerful 4, followed by a well timed one. Shah got into the act with an off drive for 4 against Crook and a sumptuous straight drive off Lucas for 4 to bring up the fourth batting point. A flurry of boundaries followed but then the scoring slowed: in part because the attack became legside directed in the hope of an edge presumably.

Crook did get one past Morgan's outside edge: but that was it. Shah nudged Lucas for 4 and reached 99: got nervous and waved at the next delivery. He then nudged a two through midwicket to reach a well deserved 100 ( 215 balls 13 4s 1 6). A powerful offdrive by Shah was initially fielded but then fumbled to give a single and Eoin the strike, where he also took a single.

Field placement at this juncture was two slips and an inner ring saving one with fine leg/3rd man and mid wicket sweeper out.  Monty then came back on at Pav End for what proved to be a long spell, not without reward and some punishment. Dark cloud was now overhead. Boje had come on at the Academy End to form an all spin attack. There was a shout when Eoin padded one away but clearly outside off stump. Monty was then hit for two fours by Morgs to take the score at Lunch to 395 for 2 Shah 110no Eoin 47no.

2nd Session
 

395 for 2 - Ace/Eoin resumed. Eoin brought up his 50 and The Middle's 400 with a lofted drive plus 5 batting points. Panesar then did Shah for flight and spin and he was stumped for 114. Second over after lunch. 404 for 3. Ed Joyce batting at 5 joined Morgs but soon departed caught at short-leg off Boje. 407 for 4 . Ed Joyce 1. 

Scott came in. A long sunny spell replaced the murk, with blue sky drifting over, enough to mend a Dutchman's trousers. The Northants spinners were by now extracting a little turn and exercising some control. So progress slowed and runs were harder to come by. Scott in particular was having difficulties and was eventually taken at the wicket off Monty. 420 for 5. Scott 8.

Shaggy who replaced Scott got off the mark with a legside single but then a rustic heave which he missed left his stumps looking as though they had had a good night out. Middle 425 for 6. Not yet a collapse but.....

Murts forced his 1st ball through the offside for two. A tickle by Eoin got him to 60 after stagnating a long while on 59. A slog by Murts over mid wicket reached the ropes after the fielder gave up hope of catching it :Eoin chanced his arm off Monty with a lofted straight four: a shot repeated by Murts. A lovely square drive by Morgs took Middle to 451. Murts was then taken on the mid wicket boundary to give Monty his fifth wicket. 456 for 7. Murts 19.

On pushing Boje for a single, Eoin reached 73 and 1000 runs for the season: also achieved by Strauss in his knock. Well done both. Now batting with the tail which includes our new all-rounder from Watford S.Finn Esq: could Eoin on 73 reach his ton?

He soon answered that taking 23 off Monty's next over: sequence 4,4,6,4,4,1. Finished the over on 96no and all the shots were played with an extreme coolness belying his age/experience. Great to watch. 4 byes followed then a single. Two quickly run twos brought up a well deserved ton ( 155 balls) Monty's figures were then further dented with 4 through mid wicket and 4 through the offside. A single by Finn brought up 500 off 128 overs and it was clear the Middle would declare at tea.

Finn's legside hit sold Sales a dummy. 4. After a mammoth spell Crook replaced Monty at the Pav End The 50 partnership to which Finn had contributed 6 then came up. Lucas's 1st ball was despatched to the boundary by Morgs. Finn no doubt fortified by his career best 26no at Kiddy last week batted with more confidence: dismissing Lucas from his presence for 4. A flurry of boundaries took the score to 545 at which point Shaggy declared with 1 ball remaining. Morgs 136no just failing to beat his CB of 137. Finn 20no in an unbroken 8th wicket partnership of 91. 150 runs in the sesh: not bad. Plus our third century of the innings.

3rd Session

0'Brien/Peters opened for the hosts. Murts PavEnd/Richo Acad End for The Middle. There were 31 overs remaining. Northants require 396 to save the follow on. Peters went LBW to Murts 3rd over for 4.  So a good start. N'thants 8 for 1. New batter White. A shout for LBW/catch for Richo went unanswered. Good over.

Adam London was fielding for The Bushranger. Field 3 slips and a gully/inner ring/ no one out. A pretty good opening spell by Murts/Richo which yielded one wicket - probably unlucky not to have had another wicket in first ten overs. O'Brien/White played a number of crisp boundary shots. Finn then spelled Murts at Pav End. Northant's 50 came up in the previous over. O'Brien smashed the ball back at Finn who took a hot caught and bowled. 59 for 2. O'Brien 30.

Sales wearing 5 came in at 4. Richo had now taken up fine leg duties in between his overs. The Bushranger eventually appeared but had restricted movement at which point Finn had White taken at the wicket. 86 for 3. 16 overs. White 33. The game was moving on at pace. Dirk in the meantime had gone off again. Bizarrely, the weather settled , with wall to wall blue sky. The Middle had maintained attacking fields which had yielded 3 wickets. Scoring rate 5ish per over. Shaggy starting his second over was encouraged to hear shouts from the field of ' there's plenty of spin there Shaggy' Two square cuts by Wessels took Northants past the 100mark: 10 off the  Dial M over.

Finn had bowled a long spell with good control and a couple of wickets. With attacking fields, forcing strokes often reached the boundary, despite sharp fielding by The Middle, especially Adam London often accompanied in the sprint by Straussey. Shaggy and Ace bowled the last few overs to give the pace boys a well earned rest. Oddly Dial M's encouraging shouts were' c'mon the browser'? Close Northants 128 for 3 Wessels 24no Sales 36no.
 

Epilogue

Rather lucky to see another full day's play on a Thurs: with 9 wickets and 382 runs and many handsome strokes plus 2 centuries: can't be bad. SM.