The importance of the game to Surrey can be gauged by their lineup.  No Ramprakash, no Butcher, no Batty...  Murtagh Jr got a rare runout, and Usman Afzaal captained (and won the toss).  Shaggy announced we were resting Berg and Morgan, with Silverwood and Compton replacing them.  This was somewhat baffling to us.  Morgs only played one game in the recent T20 World Cup - he is short of time in the middle, if anything.  It is possible that the ECB requested it - he is due to play for the Lions on Wednesday - but it makes little sense if he is rested today only to play tomorrow.  We'll see.

Afzaal said he thought the pitch would give more later on - possibly he thought it would get cooler.  It didn't.  Ruby and I, being of Celtic origin and colouring, and having already spent two days this week baking in Hove, were decidedly wilting and thinking fondly of the Middlesex Room with its shade and air-conditioning, or my living room, with the game on Sky.  And yet we suffered through the heat to bring you this match report.  There's dedication for you.  The Oval was half-empty when the game started, although it did get busier later on.

The decision to bat first looked justified when the first three balls each went for four.  Michael Brown looked like he couldn't believe his luck at three consecutive fielding errors, and Finny looked positively murderous.  The first two were carbon copies of each other, with Silverwood to blame; after that, following an urgent appeal by Finn, Udal adjusted the field, only for Kartik, who had replaced Silverwood, to do the same.  Silverwood then came on to bowl at the pavilion end, and was luckier - five off that over and seventeen for no wicket.  The rotating bowler plan continued with Tyron being brought on for Finny, only for Brown to hit another four off his first ball.  Kartik was moved to a less dangerous fielding position, and our fearless leader was seen to be openly thinking hard.  Tyron's over went for six, and Silverwood's next, only two.  This was definitely better, but the fielding was still as wobbly as a baby giraffe and the bowling, although more economical, did not look at all penetrating.  I couldn't see where a wicket would come from, and started to despair.  Was yesterday a false dawn after all?

You had to feel sorry for Finny.  In the Hampshire game he ran his heart out when fielding - it seemed like he went after every ball - and yet now when he was bowling his teammates fielded as if their thumbs had been cut off.  His next over was "illuminated" by an absolute howler from Nick and another four that should have been stopped by Silverwood.  His figures for this match are going to be shocking, and for the most part it's not his fault at all.  In the next over Tyron gave away a free hit, but we were fortunate enough that Surrey only got a single from it.  Six overs down, and 50-0.  Worse, the fielding had gone from bad to apathetic and bad.  I know it's hot, boys, but you could at least look like you're trying.

Thirteen off Kartik's next over.  He isn't the player he was last year, not by a long shot.  If there is the slightest possibility we can get Hughes back as an overseas player next season, we should grab it with both hands.  He certainly seems keen to come back.  (His excitement about the Lord's catering - "They have two different sorts of dessert every day" was possibly the cutest thing ever.)  Anyway, I digress.  Fearless Leader came back for another over, which had possibly the worst fielding error of the game so far - Dexter knocking the ball into the boundary as he tried vainly to save a four.  75-0, eight overs gone, here we go again.  There was only one plan left - Dawid.  He looks much more confident bowling than batting, these days, but that's hardly surprising.  He hasn't been able to buy a run for a long time, but he's probably our best bowler at the moment.  And to prove it, he bowled a maiden.  The Surrey innings turnaround began here.

Finally, a wicket.  Udal brought himself back on and conjured a runout of Jordan, with Dawid's assistance.  Our two senior spinners were not slowing the scoring down as much as we would have wanted, but things were looking a bit more hopeful.  Surrey brought their hundred up and almost immediately Udal got the breakthrough, dismissing Waters with a sharp catch from Shah on the boundary.  Afzaal came in next, and the fielding had by this point noticeably improved, but my ingrained pessimism when it comes to Middlesex made me think that it was too little too late.  Dawid came back on  - my notes at this point said "he deserves a wicket, bless him" - but it was not to be.  He did end up with the frankly excellent figures of 4-1-17-0 though.  After 16 overs, the figure was 117-2, which was a lot better than I had hoped for.  Kartik was back on, but I found his overs oddly forgettable.  I think there may have been a four in the next over.  Meanwhile Brown had reached a solid and unspectacular 69.  Silverwood came back on, to more comedy fielding - three fielders converging and all of them missing the ball, which went for 4.  The next ball did the same, a lofted drive from Brown that Billy just couldn't get to in time.

The penultimate over was Tyron from the Vauxhall end, and he soon disposed of Brown by means of a lovely catch from Billy.  141-3.  Schofield came in, and like every other batsman today (or so it felt like) opened his account with a four.  150-3 and one over to go.  The final over was Silverwood, which at the time I thought was harsh on Finny, but I was to be proved wrong when Woody removed both Afzaal (run out with a brilliant throw at the stumps from Shah) and Schofield (caught on the boundary by Dawid). The Surrey innings finished at 160-5, which I thought at the time was better than we could have expected but probably still too much.  I have watched us too often this season, you see.  However, I have to report that Ruby said we would win, as she did yesterday, and she was right.  (She also said we would win the Hampshire game, but then we really should have won that one.),

 
Our innings started well with a four from Billy, a shout for lbw (not given) and another 4 - it was given as extras but I'm not sure what for.  It was only the first of many.  Nel was bowling fast but not particularly accurate; Jordan at the Vauxhall end was slower but more precise.  Still, after 3 overs we only had 17 runs, and then things got even worse when Billy was clean bowled by Jordan next ball.  This brought Shah in, and many fingers were crossed.  A four for Dexter followed by one for Shah released some of the tension.  Surrey looked about as willing to run after the ball as we did in the first half of our innings.  Did I mention it was bloody hot?  Surrey were also much more wayward - there were nine extras after just 5 overs, and we were 35-1.

The crowd were bored and had started mexican waves.  I did not participate because I am a grumpy old curmudgeon, and it was too hot to move.   Schofield came on at the pavilion end and was promptly hit for six by Shah.  Shortly after, Dexter was run out - it was close enough to go to the third umpire but apparently on replay was fairly clear.  Next in was Dawid - not sure why, as Compton was a supposed straight replacement for Morgan, but with hindsight it was a good decision. 57-2 after eight overs, with fifteen extras, and my notes are somewhat sparse at this point as I think I was applying my tenth layer of sunscreen.  I was paying attention enough to note that we made 17 off the ninth over and even my ingrained pessimism was beginning to dissipate in the face of such good batting.  When Shah is in form and in confidence, he's a joy to watch, and he was in great form today.

 

 

Sadly my notes from the next over are also sparse as Ruby and I were discussing the attractiveness of Murts Junior (greater than Murts Senior, we decided).  Yes, we're shallow.  Sadly there was far less pretty on show than on Friday, as there was no Pettini, Foster or Wright, and as everyone knows Surrey are not a pretty team (baby!Dial M - Text!M? excluded).  Anyway, back to the cricket.  I was worried, after the Hampshire game, thatDawid and Owais didn't seem to be speeding up enough, but I was, I think, being overcautious.  We were still behind on DL after 12 overs, and though I didn't think it was going to rain, the clouds were beginning to look ominous.  Dawid got two quick fours and the hundred was up.  I began to believe Ruby was right.  We needed 55 off 7 overs.  Surely even we could do that, with 8 wickets in hand?  Especially after Owais hit Elliott for a glorious six over the OCS stand right after Elliott sent down a bouncer at his head.  You'll know better next time, Grant.  Not to be outdoone, Dawid also hit a six (into the stand rather than over it).

(at this point my notes, verbatim, read WHY DID WE NOT PLAY LIKE THIS UNTIL NOW?)

Six overs to go and we need a run a ball.    Owais brings up his fifty off 34 balls.  A very promising sign is that we are running twos when the chance arises, unlike last year when we tended to run one and then freeze.  These two bat very well together.

Nel comes back at the Vaushall end, and Owais disdainfully flicks him for four in the gap between two fielders.  Dawid swings and there is a chance of a catch which isn't taken - the Surrey fielding at this point is, and there is no other word for it, Middlesexesque.

I have to confess, I am responsible for Dawid's wicket.  I had just finished writing "These two are making it look easy" when he was caught and bowled by Schofield for 38. Sorry, Dawid.  That is the best batting performance I have seen from him this season, though, and combined with his bowling was a really good all-round showing from him. Maybe he's not going to suffer second season syndrome after all.  Sense prevails and Tyron comes in with us needing 15 runs off 18 balls.  Jordan comes back at the Vauxhall end and Tyron joyously hits him for 6 into the block next to us.  A good catch from the guy in the crowd - maybe we should sign him up? 8 off 15, 4 off 14, 3 off 13 - we're going to do this.  Tyron finishes it all off with a four and we've done it, we have our second win. 

Okay, compared to last year, our T20 campaign has been shambolic and disappointing.  We all know  that.  But not to take anything away from the boys - today, like yesterday, was a good performance after a bad start.  If it proves to be the confidence boost that they are badly in need of going into the next round of the CC games, then I won't complain.  It would be nice if we could beat Sussex tomorrow, though.