Middlesex CCC
Mind Your Language. Berger That!
He's done it again
By Darren Gosling
April 25 2011
Darren Gosling has a break from his domestic bliss to witness and report on another Middlesex win, with some squeaky b*m momments. Another excellent read.
Having escaped home (and 3 kids under the age of six!!) for my first day’s cricket of the year, I arrived in good spirits at Worcester Station and joined SeaxeMan for the short walk to New Road. With Worcester having lost both of their opening Cch matches and Middx having won both of ours, I was hoping we would take the confidence and winning mentality into our CB40 campaign.
Of the first class counties Middx were 16/1 to win the CB40 this season while Worcs were 25/1 (only Derbys, Gloucs and Leics being longer odds at 50/1), so I guess that made us favourites for today’s match.
This was only my second visit to this picturesque ground, the patriotic amongst you would have been impressed to see the St.George’s flag flying from the Cathedral behind. My only previous visit was for a Totesport match in 2004 in which I saw Glenn McGrath make his Middx “dayboo” – as the Aussies would say. We lost that day by 70 runs chasing 252 (Hick 120) to win so obviously I was hoping for better fortunes today.
Both teams were surprisingly as per the scorecard – which meant 5 changes from our undefeated Cch side so far. Batsmen Rogers and Housego made way for Scollay and Stirling (Middx A list debut) while bowlers Finn and Collymore were rested, with TRJ and Crook (Middx debut) coming in. Lastly Ben Scott replaced John Simpson as the gloveman (I swear I could hear the cheers from the Winsky household some 100+ miles away).
Only one player on each side remained from the aforementioned visit in 2004, Solanki for Worcs and for Middx the recalled Ben Scott who was making his first A list appearance for Middx since the televised washout v Lanky in August 2009.
Shortly before play began the tannoy announcer reminded people that Worcester were very much a family club and that any foul or abusive language would not be tolerated.
Dex proceeded to win the toss and chose to bat with Newman and Malan forming our new one day opening partnership.
MIDDX INNINGS
Shantry and Jones opened the bowling with contrasting results – we struggled to get Shantry away - with his first 3 overs costing just 5 runs, Jones meanwhile conceded 33 runs from his 3 overs and didn’t bowl again in the match.
Malan, having played a few lovely cover drives slashed at a widish delivery to be caught at the second attempt at second slip by Solanki. Stirling then came in and bludgeoned 5 boundaries before being caught on the square leg boundary for 21, a dismissal that was to become an all too familiar one in the Middx innings.
Newman was next to go, having looked very comfortable in compiling 34 with 7 boundaries, he holed out to the long off boundary. You could tell from his body language he was not best pleased with himself…“F*****g don’t believe it!!” he said as he left the field, …“F*** it!!” he shouted as he climbed the stairs to the dressing room and finally “F***’s sake!!” from the player’s balcony. It would have been a very brave person who would have interjected at this point to remind Scott that Worcester were a “family club”.
Newman’s dismissal left Middx 85-3 off 15 overs, a pretty good scoring rate though worryingly no batsmen were dropping anchor as it were. Next came Middx’s best partnership of the innings with Dex and Berg adding 72 for the fourth wicket. Berg hit the only “DLF maximum”of the match before he was eventually bowled by the excellent Moeen Ali who only went for 26 off his 8 overs. Disastrously Dex holed out to the long-on boundary next over with no further addition to the score, leaving Middx 157-5 with 12 overs remaining. A this point I thought we would struggle to post a commanding score, as I’d hoped Dex would bat through after Bergy’s departure. 49 more runs were added for the last 5 wickets as we were bowled out for 206 which SeaxeMan and I thought may be 20-30 runs short.
WORCESTER INNINGS
Murts and Crook formed our opening bowling attack and as per the Worcs bowlers they enjoyed contrasting fortunes, with Murts’ first 4 overs costing just 13 runs while Crook’s 4 went for 34 runs – he didn’t bowl again. Worcester’s opening pair of Ali and Solanki both looked in fine form as they comfortably passed Middx’s best partnership of the match in putting on 78 for the first wicket. Ali finally chipped an easy catch to Scollay at silly mid off to give Rayner his first one day wicket for Middx. From this solid platform Worcs then proceeded to lose their way with Solanki (having completed his 50 off 51 balls) departing lbw to Rayner for 61, shortly followed by Kervezee (3) and captain Mitchell (1) to leave Worcs 108-4. TRJ completed an excellent spell during this period finishing with 8-0-28-2.
The match was now finely poised, in fact at the halfway stage the comparative scores had been identical at 106-3.
The departure of the captain though for just a single left me feeling (very quietly) confident we would yet win.
Holding back Berg until the 26th over proved to be a masterstroke. Just when Worcs needed to start upping their run-rate on came the iceman (sporting a new shirt number 8 – more shirts for Kimmy to collect !) and he proved to be in top form as he bowled 7 straight overs to record his best one day bowling figures of 4-24 which included no boundaries. Cameron was the only batsmen offering any resistance as Worcs reached the last 10 overs needing 66 off 60 balls – not impossible if someone could stay with Cameron. Stirling proceeded to finish his quota with 8-0-36-0 having bowled more tidily than his figures suggest – like Berg he never went for a boundary.
Worcs now needed 42 off 24 balls as Murts rejoined the attack with Berg to try and close out the game for the Middle.
Murts did just that having Jones caught by Newman for 4 before ending Cameron’s stubborn resistance by shattering his stumps for 41, leaving Worcs 24 runs short of their target.
So once again the bowlers did us proud in defending what looked to be a score a little on the light side – but what the heck, that’s yet another win and long may they continue…..especially on Wednesday COME ON THE MIDDLE!!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:04:27:20:47:54 by BarmierKev.
For me interestingly, was the input of 'fielding coach' Ben Scott.
No longer are we hurling the ball skywards in the general direction of the keeper.
Now, controlled low throws which are taken on the bounce by the keeper.
Generally, the fielding allround was much sharper.
Had a bit to do with as Darren reports, only one boundary (a wild swipe) being conceded after Solanki's dismissal.
PS Darren. Amazingly, at my slowish pace I made the 19.25 service from Foregate Strret. Back home by 11pm.ish.
Quote:TRJ completed an excellent spell during this period finishing with 8-0-28-2
I was a bit fearful when I looked at the scorecard to see that Toby Roland-Jones was bowled out early...
Quote:Holding back Berg until the 26th over proved to be a masterstroke
... but then it gave me a great lift to see that at that point, Gareth Berg had yet to start his overs!
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
Barmy Kev
I'm only here for the tele
Not nice on younger ears I know, in which case there should be a 50 meter exclusion zone for those easily offended people around the players areas.
Batsmen not showing some raw emotion after getting out are the ones I worry about , in way too much of a comfort zone or not giving it all for the team.
Some damage bats , some property and some like Alfred are just plain vocal , at least with vocal the damage incurred costs the club little.
edited to change soon to zone (wasn't even using predictive text .... now THAT makes me swear!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:04:25:13:26:26 by The Diamond ruled ok.
Regrettably there have been occasions when this sort of language, uttered in the middle usually after a near miss or a misdirected delivery has been walloped, has been audible to spectators. Are the umpires powerless to intervene or are they, as BK suggests, worried about getting a mouthful if they do?
Standards are slipping, if not sliding.
Quote:BarmierKev
To be honest having sat near the Pavilion area at Uxbridge last year some of the audible language was not pretty just after batsman were out, not just ours. These outbursts are a coming trait and if asked to be controlled would probably result in another outburst.
Kev, have you ever seen the inside of those changing rooms? Little wonder at the outbursts. Gold watch anyone?
Having looked comfortable before lobbing a catch to mid-on, a missed opportunity crossed Scott's mind I reckon.
As for Newman and his language... I hear far worse at football where there's loads of kids... But it is usually confined to the ground...
I don't mind the emotion, I think it shows they give a fu@k!!
Kimmy
I'm not so sure that it does show that. Sometimes, particularly in football, I suspect that the worst outbursts are aimed at keeping the sympathy of the fans (oh look, he cares just as much as we do) and covering up their own ineptitude.
You can be boiling over inside at what has transpired, but in my opinion you don't rant at the referee/umpire, you don't swear very audibly and you still shake the hand of your opponent. "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser" I have been told. Were Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton losers then?
Adelaide
But that's just my opinion... I don't think it goods to keep emotions locked up inside you... however I also don't like loads of swearing and certain words are def. worse than others...
However in law there are only 2 words that are obscene... the 'f' and 'c' words...
Kimmy
Having watched half a local cup match at the Walker Ground the other week, use of the f-word amongst the players was commonplace. They were not swearing at the ref, or the opposition, just geeing each other up and sometimes havi9ng a go at each other. I'm not sure they really thought of it as swearing at all. It was on a sports ground but I doubt it would be different in a public park, where young children would be more likely to be passing by. No crowd noise to drown it out, of course.
I was once standing at the Paxton Road End (that dates me) and a four year old on his dad's shoulders unleashed a volley of obscene abuse at the ref, no doubt imitating his father, I caused some amusement by asking him to stop swearing because there were adults present!
I swear when I am angry, and swore a lot more as a teenager but we did have it under control. If the most obscene words are part of someone's everyday expression without thought for who else is around, where do they go when they get angry? Nothing verbal left, so I fear it is to violence.
Adelaide
Nobody will stop swearing,turning a blind ear is a good start.
Basically it comes down to lack of consideration for others, which is a much wider problem. I don't accept that I ought to "get over" absolutely anything because the world has changed.
Mind you, if I was a Barnet supporter I'd have plenty to swear at...
Adelaide
Years of watching Barnet has ground me down to much shaking of head and grunting.
But if we surrender a lead on the last day of the season needing a win to stay up(AGAIN),I can assure you the air will be blue over EN5.
