Middlesex CCC
Sorry cricketers and fans Run Out of ideas
5 balls, 0 runs
By Barmy Kev
July 9 2010
Barmy Kev is delighted to report on a win away at our rivals back yard. This includes an attempt of ball by ball commentary,with a taster of atmosphere in our area. After reading this some who weren't there wish they were there, while other absentees will be glad they weren't. This report carries a Barmy Kev health warning and contains language that may offend.
Sorry Cricketers Run Out of Ideas
I’ve been criticised on my reports of not giving enough detail on cricket related matters, so I will offer ball by ball commentary of this entire match.
Sorry won the toss and elected to bat. Hamilton hyphen Brown opening with R4C. First ball from Dial M short and smacked away for 4. Another loss for us I say to Beefy. Next ball RHB pushes for single. R4C now on strike, Beefy encourages Dial M to do something, which I can’t repeat. First ball R4C goes forward ball lobs in air close to him, spins back and just misses stumps. Jammy so and so I think I said. Then long delay, R4C wants new bat, more unrepeatable comments from our area, with some slow hand clapping. Next ball played and miss. Followed by two good forward defensive pushes. He wants to bat all day. Next over RHB first ball pushes a single and puts the "novice" on strike. R4C then pushes a speculative single to mid on and went for a run that was never there, run out easily by the Ice Man running in to stumps, no throw needed. Cheerio, Cheerio was our ecstatic chant. What a start!
I now realise, I haven’t got time to report on further ball-by-ball commentary so rest of match will be summarised. Sorry. Next over Roy caught behind, he was not happy with decision, 6-2. Then a mini recovery, with RHB getting eye in.
At 27-2 in 5th over a good straight shot well stopped at long off, only went for 1 run. I can’t remember fielder but there was an unnecessary fast direct hit at stumps and rebounded off stumps back to outfield that allowed Sorry 1 extra run. I said to Beefy we better not lose this game by 1 run. Next ball another shot to leg side boundary straight to fielder except this time a difficult 2nd run attempted and we throw to keeper RHB easily run out. I felt this our omen.
And I was right, more bizarre stuff. Walters pushes a routine single to fine leg. Super Ped is celebrating. No idea why, perhaps he is happy that the ball is nowhere near him. Walters out- hit wicket, I eventually realise.
33-4 looks good for us. But we have had teams in this situation many times before and let it slip. What is more they have Eunice Kahn and Andrea Symonds now in . Two Sorry through and through players. There was a worrying 6-4-4 sequence off Dext bowling and perhaps going away from us. Smudge then has Andrea caught and bowled and Eunice shortly after the same way. At 62-6 I was thinking of less than 100 score and are floodlights necessary for finish? Spriegel and Wilson batted sensibly to help get score to 120. I need to mention Spriegel was caught in deep by a not easy chance by Scott Newman. He has made some really good catches of late, let's leave leave him alone.
I digress I really think 120 gettable and the Pocket Rocket due a big score.
Sorry Fans Run out of Ideas
Our reply, 9 off first over, looks good. Then I eat my words again. Pocket Rocket caught behind for 1. The next few overs were painful. Dext and Ace struggling. One leading edge, falling between behind bowler and just in front of mid off, phew. After 4 overs we were behind the Vera.
Then Andrea comes on to bowl a productive over for us. I stand up, applaud, and cheer an excellent cover drive, to which someone behind me shouts “ Sit down you W*nker.” Very eloquently put from one of many Sorry "fans " around us who have witnessed very little cricket so far.
There was another pie bowling over from Andrea. We were 43-1 and 15 ahead of Vera, I think. I really must take notes for exactness when I’m reporting.
Editor... if you look closely with the lion the young middx fan has one of the pom poms...
It’s getting far too easy for us. We continue to push on with run rate required closer to 5 than 6, I say to Beefy no need for risks, just push the singles and punish the bad ball. Ace did not hear me and soon after lobs a full length ball in air an easy catch on square leg boundary. Stupid shot cost us game I think for a split second. Whoever it was, Sorry fielder spilled a dolly, 4 runs to boot, thanks, you’re MTYD. As we get further boundaries that was making it easier for us, another big hit but much further in same area looks like 6 for us fielder, Walters tipped ball over from boundary edge then runs infield to catch it. We had to take his word , not over boundary edge and of course Sorry never cheat.
Didn’t matter as we had this sewn up and Sorry “ fans” were getting restless. Mexican wave did 3 laps, and we joined in by muttering “ sit down you w*nkers, as it reached our direction. Then this pathetic source of entertainment, beer snakes. There is a notice around that they are banned from ground, but the idiots carry on regardless, we get spilled on. What's the f-ing point in this?
Khan fielded near us and these loyal Sorry " fans" chant "Eunice Eunice".
Dexter’s reached an excellent 50, which went over head of the majority and the main applause was for another plastic cup added to chain. Wow!
I’m only here for the cricket. Another boundary thanks to a hapless Sorry dropped catch. Then our only 6 by Ice Man followed. With 2 runs needed a straight forward single only to boundary edge and the can’t be asked Sorry fielder allowed us a 2nd run, for earlier finish. 7 wicket win, 2 overs to spare. "Can we play you every week", preferably at a ground where the majority of fans are human beings.
The so-called Sorry “fans” seemed bored and tired now. I was happy to lead a "Middle Middle" chant, which was reciprocated with plenty of "Sex" by scattered Middlesex fans in my vicinity.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:13:07:27:20 by Ged.
Can we play
Sorry - can we play them every week?
Thanks for the report, Kev - plenty of detail I assure you.
It is a shame that those Surrey supporters should act like that.
Of course, alcohol and cricket go together - especially on a warm summer evening. It is fair to assume that without ale and gambling, the game of cricket we enjoy today would be unlikely to exist.
It is just a shame that so many people going to the T20 games are only interested in getting drunk and acting like oafs.
I have to wonder if increasingly bitter rivalries, chanting, Mexican waves and an increased tribalism in cricket go some way to making some cricket matches feel more like football matches - certainly in the game's shortest form. Should we therefore be surprised when people turn up and act like they are at Chelsea v Arsenal?
I'm not saying we shouldn't do any of those things but maybe we can't have one without the other.
Still, it is ALWAYS good to beat THEM.
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
Quote:BarmierKev
At 3.80 a pint booze sales is a major source of revenue. Perhaps would have been better in no alcohol stand except I like drink at cricket, but like to think I'm not anti social as a result.
Perish the thought Kev. You're the same with or without the drink
Darren correctly guessed that a half a gall at 3.80 a pint (15.20) would go over in the next block creating it's own Niagara Falls.
We repaired to 'The Beehive' afterwards and had a pint or three, with Rob, Barmy Paul2, The Jobber and Jim.
Concern was expressed over 'the mad Scotsman' who has been incommunicado since the Kent T20. To be investigated.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:09:10:22:50 by Seaxe_Man.
I would probably have enjoyed this one though!
But well done, great report... I'm expecting a copy of the email Beefy will sunmit to Sorry complaining....
Wish they would let the real fans sit together, so atleast we could watch the game in peace!
Kimmy
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
Nothing I have read encourages me to change my view of this form of the game.
Personally, I don't drink outside or inside cricket grounds as that wasn't how I was brought up, it is of great importance to me that I have an unobstructed view of every ball and every incident and I very rarely applaud the opposition, but each to their own.
However, when people become more interested in getting the next pint or making a chain that they are in the outcome of the next delivery or ensuring their fellow spectators have a good view, you know there is a problem.
Quote:Fleety
I have to wonder if increasingly bitter rivalries, chanting, Mexican waves and an increased tribalism in cricket go some way to making some cricket matches feel more like football matches - certainly in the game's shortest form. Should we therefore be surprised when people turn up and act like they are at Chelsea v Arsenal?
Bitter rivalries? I don't think there were many people in the ground bothered that it was a match being played by two teams with a lot of rivalry as I would have thought the spectators would have acted all the same had Surrey been played someone like Gloucestershire, with whom there is no rivalry.
Chanting? Again, the spectators were more concerned with the next pint and a chain then there were about chanting or getting one over whichever team they don't support (coming to think of it, who did the people around me in the Peter May Stand support? I did hear a couple of Middlesex-related chants, but most were there just to drink).
Mexican waves? I tend not to join in with them as I like to focus on the match.
Tribalism? I would have loved to have sat with people from the MTWD tribe. Maybe we should have arranged to have booked seats together and in one go.
Chelsea v Arsenal? At least with football the vast majority of people inside the ground are affiliated with either or the sides, and so tend not to move except at the start and end of each half. When they move at football I say to myself "don't worry, it'll all settle down soon", but with cricket I can't say that as they move during the whole match.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Great report.
The only shame was that our support was so scattered throughout the ground.
Where I was sitting in Upper Bedser,it was a good view, but I could not see any other Middle Fans.
People looked at me with I think a little annoyance towards the end when I began to celebrate our inevitable victory.
However there were many people around me who seemed to have little idea what was going on.
County Championship: Schweppes (I don't think they do alcohol), Britannic Assurance, PPP Healthcare, Cricinfo, Frizzell and Liverpool Victoria/=LV.
Knock-out trophy that results in a late-summer final at Lord's: Gillette, NatWest, Cheltenham and Gloucester, Friends Provident and Clydesdale Bank.
Knock-out trophy that resulted in a mid-summer final at Lord's: Benson and Hedges
Sunday/floodlit League competition: John Player, Refuge Assurance, AXA Equity and Law, CGU, Norwich Union, totesport, NatWest and Clydesdale Bank
Twenty20: Friends Provident
England Test matches: Cornhill, npower
England one-day matches: Prudential, Texaco, NatWest, Emirates
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Perhaps next year us real enthusiasts should agree on a block of the Oval (or at the very least a stand) to base ourselves in, and that way outnumber the locals in at least one part of the Oval? It would lead to a much better atmosphere and would hardly take much organisation.
I agree with you entirely.
It should not be too difficult to organise.
There's nothing wrong with getting the odd drink, checking between balls how the chain of cups is getting on (and even contributing to it) and joining in with a Mexican wave, but once people start ranking all that about the cricket they start to become an irritation to people who wish to concentrate on the cricket.
On 14th June I wrote: "For me, the most preferable time for people to leave their seat to visit the bar or toilet is during breaks in play (lunch, tea, changeover between innings or rain/bad light), the second most preferable time is at the end of an over and the third most preferable time is once the ball has become dead. Once they have bought their drink(s) and/or visited the toilet, they should either wait until the end of the current over before returning to their seat or go to the row where they are sitting, wait until the following ball has been bowled and subsequently becomes dead and then move to their seat."
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Incidentally Michael Brown did a fair chunk of the summarising too - not a spectacular performance (IOB is far more fun) but Brown certainly provided balanced opinion.
There's nothing politically correct about NOT showing a significant match incident (the R4C run out incident) and there is nothing politically incorrect about placing emphasis on same.
Good to see the win against Sussex the other day, keep it going !!
Will soon have to rebadge the Panther to something more appropriate like Thunderbird5!
Like I have already said, I did not get anywhere near as good a view of the run out of Mark Ramprakash and I initially thought he had suffered the humiliation of being run out by Pedro Collins. Luckily for R4C, it was actually by the more renowned fielder Gareth Berg.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
