Travel/Weather.
 
Arrived at Nevill Road at 10.00am, after atrouble free run down the M4 in the ZR. The instructions for finding the ground were actuaaly accurate and the ground is relatively well sign posted. Unlike Northampton. Started with blue skies in Hillingdon, about 12 miles from Bristol, banks of clouds rolled up. Varying in degrees of murk, with patches of blue.  Breezy, so hopefully all is well. Though the wind was strong, it never quite cleared the murk permanently, and cloud cover largely remained throughout the day.

The ' lads of The Middle' were on the outfield, playing football plus fielding practice. The car park was full but I appeared to be about the fifth person in the ground. New bit of fielding kit, a small semi circular net to hurtle throws into. Dropped anchor in the Jessop Stand. A bit breezy but gives a good view of the surrounding vista.

1st session
 
We lost the toss and were inserted. Not hard to figure out, that Spearman, in for Gidman as captain, expected the conditions to suit his fast swing merchants, Kirby and Lewis. In this he was not to be proved wrong.  There were two changes for Glaws: Spearman came in for Gidman and replaced him as captain: Hussain was omitted. For The Middle: Kartik had an ankle injury and was replaced by the recently re-recruited Dave Burton.

Openers Strauss/Compton appeared and we got underway. Straussey took first strike and Lewis opened the home attack from the Jessop Stand End. Field 3 slips, gully, inner ring, fine leg. Andy opened the score tucking the ball away to fine leg for three. Compo responded with a single on the legside. Kirby opened from the Pavilion End. NRD Compton to receive. Slips were now up to four. Compton nudged a four on the deck through the slips. Shortly after when facing Lewis, Compo was taken behind off Lewis for 7. Score 21 for 1.

 Shah appeared at 3 and expertly pulled Lewis for four, through midwicket. Straussey played a nice straight drive for four off Franklin who had spelled Kirby at the Pav end. An excellently timed square cut by Strass reached the ropes and took the score to 48. This I regret to say, was the high point of the Midd-x innings. Shortly after, Strauss possibly caught in two minds, made a half hearted attempt at a pull shot, which lobbed up nicely to square leg for Banerjee to take the catch. Strauss out for a cameo 32.

The Middle 49 for 2. Morgan came in and squirted a two through gully, to get off the mark. and brought up the 50 at 12.10pm. a lovely pull for four by Shah followed off Lewis, who was having a long spell. After a cracking off-drive for four , Ace went for a run-out, fortunately on this occasion, unsuccessful. A super off-drive by Eoin just failed to reach the boundary, and he had to settle for a 3. Kirby, was chatting to Eoin on his follow through. Another splendid off-drive by Ace reached the ropes. Bowler Lewis.One slip was dropped out. Eoin was then bowled by Lewis, played on for 6. I suspect an element of rustiness involved, as he had'nt played for a couple of weeks.

69 for 3. Kirby by now was working up a fair head of steam, forcing Dex to duck. A big blow then followed for The Middle, when Ace went for 25, in an not unlike fashion to Strauss, pulling but not going through with the stroke and being caught at short fine leg by Ali, 72 for 4. Kirby continued his conversation with the batters, but was ignored by Nashy. Dex was then taken at slip off Lewis for 6.

Score 80 for 5. 'Fings ain't looking good'. Berg came in to join Nash and we lunched at a precarious 80 for 5. Kirby/Lewis with some assistance from Franklin had maintained a hostile attack in the pre lunch session.

Apart from cameo's from Strauss/Shah, very much Glaw's session. This called for a sausage bap and a hot chocolate downstairs as the wind had got up and it was freezing.

 2nd session
 
Nash/Berg resumed. Personally, after the hot chocolate, I had retreated to the lower Jessop behind glass. It was a lot warmer and I was joined by a large number of their members as well. We shared some mutual thoughts on England's 20/20 demise and the need to further tweak the the D/L system which apparently those two gentleman are in the process of doing. But I digress.

Franklin resumed at the Pav end to Nash. A single came from this over. Lewis to Nash from JSE. Push to square leg for four. A four to Berg through the slips off Franklin. Off-drive by Bergy, only 3, pulled up inches from the rope. Nash was then bowled off stump by Lewis for 10.

99 for 6. Udal joined Bergy, who finally got a single to fine leg, to bring up the 100. Lewis was replaced by the spinner Banerjee. Berg responded with two fours. Ireland replaced Franklin Pav end. Has a very long run-up. Still 3 slips, gully, inner ring, fine leg. 4 to Bergy. At 123, with a modicum of a recovery in sight, Shaggy charged the spinner and lofted a catch to mid off. His score 8. Ours 123 for 7.

Further woe was to follow. Berg taken taken in slips by Spearman for 29, second top score and our score 125 for 8. Silvers entered but did not stay long being caught off Ireland for 1. Score 130 for 9. All hope of a batting point had long since departed. Enter Dave Burton. The end I fear is nigh. Oddly though, it was not quite. Finn who had come in with the Iceman's departure, took three with an off-drive. Burts, no number on shirt, though later borrowed, one of Bergy's, on strike. He survives with the sun belatedly breaking through. Bit late for The Middle. Finn takes a four through midwicket off Banerjee, followed by another with a lofted drive over mid-on. 9 off the over, our best yet. Crowd was now a reasonable smattering considering the wind chill factor, with a lot of brave souls on the Hammond roof. Finn crashed another four of Ireland and ducked the following bouncer. Burts gets off the mark with a single and nicks the strike. 149 for 9. He then played out a maiden to the spinner. Kirby back on. After Finn's single, Burts saw out the over from the fearsome Kirby. Finn then dropped from a slog over mid-wicket. The only catch I can recall the home side dropping in this innings. However, Burts was out next ball, taken by Snell off Banerjee. So not an expensive drop for Glaws. 153ao. Finn with a cameo 24no. Time 3-12pm. Tea was taken. Glaws day so far.  

3rd session
 
Silvers opened from JSE to Ali. Maiden. Finn from PE. to Porterfield. Edged for 4, his 1st ball between gully, 3rd slip. Field 3 slips, gully, fine leg, inner ring. Slip cordon: Strauss, Dex, Ace. 6 off the over. An edge off Finn went through the slips for 4. Benificiary Ali. Second edge same over went through the same area for 4. Catch put down next over in slips, 1st ball from Silvers. Beneficiary. Ali.
Silvers then off-driven for 4. A quiet period ensued, with the Glaws openers content to defend, time was on their side. Berg replaced Finn at the Pav end and embarked on a long spell. Final figures for the day 11-2-30-1. Burts spelled Silvers at JSE for a shorter spell. He appeared without a squad number, but later came out wearing one of Berg's spares. Final figures for the day of 4-0-14-0. Score 28-0. The Glaws openers were not getting a lot of joy from Bergy and wicket prodding became mandatory. A four off Burts finally broke the drought. Batter Porterfield. Berg unlucky next delivery, he defeated Porterfield totally, without an edge and next ball had him dropped at second slip. A somewhat frustrating over for the Iceman. An attempt at a run-out completed this over. Porterfield took a square cut off Burts. 41 off 17 overs. Time 4.40. Ali edged yet another 4 through slips off Berg. The Iceman was causing the home batters probs but they were still there. There followed another edge through the slips off Bergy, the boy was suffering. At last a perfectly struck off-drive off Bergy reached the ropes. The 1st pukka four he had conceded. At 62 the first wicket fell. Ali lbw to Dex for 21.

 Finn spelled Berg at PE after along spell of excellent fast medium bowling without just reward. Finn conceded an off-driven 4 by Porterfield. He then suffered again as, incoming bat Marshall, was dropped at 2nd slip. The 3rd in the innings to date. A square cut for 4 gave the Glaws lefthander Porterfield his 50 off Dex. Marshall edged a 4 same over. This was a prolific scoring area for the home batters and said much about he bowler friendly conditions. Finn took his wicket though, next over, having Porterfield taken behind by Nash for 53.

Score 88 for 2. The Middle's bowlers had stuck to the task of defending a small total in dogged fashion. Another 4 disappeared through the slip cordon. The Glaws 100 then came up with a tasty off-driven 4 by Spearman who replaced Porterfield, off Dex. (33rd over). Berg then replaced Dex at JSE. He immediately had Marshall taken behind by Nash with his second delivery. A thoroughly deserved wicket. Score 104 for 3. Marshall gone for 18.

Appeal for lbw turned down against the incoming Taylor, same over. Good over. At 6'o'clock. 111 for 3. 37 overs. Silvers recalled at PE, Finny at JSE. Silvers took some punishment when the consecutive 4's came off the last ball of his 2nd and the first of his 3rd. Pulled agin for 4 and another through the slip area moved the home score on. A wild slash for off Berg by Spearman went high over the slips for 4. Pretty much summed up our day really. A good yorker by Berg was well defended by Taylor who kept it out not without some difficulty.  Close Glos 144 for 3 Spearman 36no Taylor 12no.
 
Summation

 A good toss to win and the Glos bowlers exploited them well. Especially Kirby, who bowled aggressively fast and straight and Lewis who bowled with a touch of swing and bowled from the Jessop Stand End throughout the first session, showing stamina. We probably assisted in our downfall with two/three loose shots. Other than that, they got us out. On our side, the bowlers as mentioned, busted a gut, but without quite the penetration of the home bowlers. The three dropped catches were expensive. You would have to think, that had they been taken, the game would be on a more even keel. As it is, we are facing an uphill task, with conditions probably easing a bit tomorrow, if this wicket follows tradition.  So I headed for the car park and the M4 comtemplating, with the time left, 3 points as the likely outcome, which I think from the table on the back of the scorecard: leaves us in eighth place.     

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