On one of the hottest days of the year, I set out for the start of the first day's play between Middlesex and Surrey. Luckily there were no delays on the Metropolitan and Jubilee Lines and I was in my normal seat about six rows back in the Mound Stand at 10:40. The first three things I noticed were I could not hear the tannoy, about a third of the Mound Stand nearest to the Edrich Stand was roped-off and reserved for some school parties, and the pitch was the same one as Sunday.

Having won the toss, Middlesex batted first but found scoring difficult. Although 3 runs were scored off the 1st over, the next 6 were all maidens, and unfortunately in the last of those maidens Nick Compton fell lbw to Andre Nel for 2. That brought Owais Shah to the crease, and his partnership with Billy Godleman was one of contrasting styles.

Godleman was content to hold an end and play few shots, while Shah played like a man in form and high on confidence and it was off his bat that the majority of runs and boundaries during the next two sessions came. Drinks were carried on by Sam Robson at 12:00 with the score on just 25-1, not least due to Nel (from the Pavilion End), whose first spell was 6-3-12-1 and Chris Jordan (Nursery End), whose first spell was 9-6-10-0. The team fifty was brought up in the 25th over with a Shah boundary, and he hit another 4 in the following over to take the partnership to 53, his contribution being 43. The score at lunch was 60-1 off 29 overs.

At lunch, I walked round the ground, then had my sandwiches. On resumption, I noticed the tannoy had been fixed, and was now loud and clear. Shah brought his 50 up off 85 balls having hit 9 fours. In the 42nd over, the team 100 came up, and the following over the century-stand was brought up, 64 to Shah, 32 to Godleman and 4 extras.

After 48 overs, halfway through the day's play, I wrote on my notepad that the score was 123-1 with Godleman on 37 and Shah on 80 so I could compare the amount of runs in the first-half of the day with the amount in the second-half. Three balls later, Shah's wrist cramped-up, something that often happens to him when the weather is hot and he plays a long innings. After a short stoppage, he continued and reached his 100 off 141 balls with 16 fours.

A class act

The 150 team score and 150 partnership were brought up in quick succession, 102 of those runs being scored by Shah, 44 by Godleman and 4 extras. The partnership came to an end shortly before tea with the score on 160 as Godleman attempted a single that was never on and turned back, but he did not dive quick enough to prevent Stewart Walters' throw via Jonathan Batty running him out for 48 off 200 balls. Neil Dexter came to the crease and took the score to 165-2 at tea, Shah 107, Dexter 4.

Dexter did not last long and was out for 14, mis-hitting to mid-on, where he was caught by Alex Tudor off Murtaza Hussain. During the evening session drinks break, something happened that I had never seen before, as Shah headed towards the Pavilion for what I can only assume was a toilet break, and Dawid Malan decided to follow behind.

The new ball was taken after 83 overs with the score on 232-3, and the remaining 13 overs were all bowled by Nel and Jordan. Shah and Malan put on a partnership of 73, with Malan's contribution far greater than when Godleman was Shah's partner. Shah went on and on, and his 150 came off 232 balls with 22 fours. However, he was unable to bat out the day and was caught at second slip by Walters off Nel. The Surrey fielders were convinced it carried but the umpires were not sure and just as they were about to consult, Shah, in an act of sportsmanship, took Walters' word and walked.

Surprisingly, the nightwatchman Steve Finn came to the crease at this point and scored 5 before falling lbw to Jordan off the last ball of the day. The close of play score was 269-5, with Malan 32 and likely to be joined in the morning by David Nash. Currently we have got 2 batting points and Surrey have 1 bowling point.

All in all, honours even.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon