By Barmy Kev
April 21 2013

Pre Day 3 Thoughts

Day 3- Middlesex in their first innings are 51 runs behind with 6 wickets down. I can’t think of a more evenly poised scenario.  

Today was a special day for another reason. After Terry Abbott died his friends decided each year we should have a nominated “Terry Day” to remember him, not that he would ever be forgotten. Today was this day and thankfully we abandoned the idea of us taken our tops off as a further tribute (for those who don’t know about Terry at the first sign of daylight he would be topless).

Last week I arrived at Trent Bridge half an hour before the start of a play on a journey that involved passing St John’s Wood Station with me 3 hours away from the destination. Today at Lord's I am a quarter of an hour late.

End of Middlesex 1st Innings. I Can See Clarely Now

As I’m entering ground I receive a text, Rayner is out just after scoring a 4.  I settle in my Grandstand seat with the score on 201-7.  I feel with our batting depth we look well placed for a first innings lead.  Perhaps not so with score on 210 TRJ is clean bowled, clearly it’s not going to be his day today.   With score on 215 Dial M was then caught by Billy G hard hitting shot well held (looks like it’s not going to be Dial M’s day either). The London Leprechaun observed there was a clear no ball from Clare from our square on position.  Next ball Finndulkar was plum LBW- no dispute from our position. And of course Clare will be on a hat trick when he (she) bowls at start of our Innings, probably on Saturday. But of course hat tricks don’t happen, especially when Lower Pavillion is around.

Wonky Derby

Fans Preparing for Billy Goddleman

We moved to the Upper Warner for the Derby reply.  They got off to a lightening quick start, after a maiden, the next over; “Billy the Crab” flicked a single to fine leg, ecstatically applauded.  Next over Billy was on fire a straight drive for 2. Two balls later a LBW shout, perhaps an inside edge, he was given out.    The over- enthusiastic celebrations were more out of relief of us being spared. Obviously, having lost Billy G the run rate dropped, Durstan was struggling and Dial M got him out plum LBW with score on 7.  This was followed by a succession of maidens off Dial M’s bowling to Chanderpaul, with lots of playing and missing. Six and out as Masden hooks a six off of Hi Fi and next ball caught behind. At lunch Derby are 19-3. 

Terry Abbott RIP.

At lunch our thoughts quickly turned to Terry Abbott as the unveiling of the memorial bench in his name was about to happen.  He was a great friend of many, a well liked person amongst the Middle faithful, which was shown by the numbers who were present at the Coronation Gardens. Most importantly Terry’s immediate family were moved and honoured by the bench and touched by the considerable turn out.

Thank you very much London Leprechaun and Darren Gosling for your video link and photos.

Terry Abbott Rest in Peace

http://youtu.be/pCom7kCabZk

Above is the video link for the unveiling.

Carnage

Life goes on.  After lunch the London Leprechaun and I tried to sort out some MTWD technical problems with pictures on our match reports that sometimes freezes the thread.  With our background work on the Admin Page we may have found the root cause and solution but we are not totally sure.   Anyone with some technical nous MTWD needs you!!

During this 20-minute MTWD Admin SOS break,  Derbyshire accelerated to 24-3.    One more run later, Redfern is plum LBW to Dial M, then Chesney Hawkes out to his “ One and Only “ ball faced. Hat trick on but Lower Pav has never seen a hat trick so it won't hapen today, Beefy and me have seen one on our overseas England travels but we don’t like to talk about it.  You never know there's a full-length ball well dug out. big ooh, agh!   Never mind they are 25-5, hang on it's now 26-6.   At this stage Dial M's figures were from 12 overs 5-12.  Nothing can surpass this or can it?

Not quite the hat-trick ball

Suddenly, an irritating partnership was being built.  Poynton was playing some good shots and Chanderpaul looked solid. Lower Pav clearly not happy shouted, “ what’s the point of Poynton?”  Then to his credit with the score on 56-6 Lower Pav said “I can feel a wicket” and that ball  Poynton was caught behind Simmo of Hi-Fi's bowling  juggling too much for comfort. 

The score is 60-7. Then 3 in a row by TRJ. Here's how it ended.

Thanks to Fozzie for pictures.

I will let the commentators decribbe this moment.

http://pupheadsoftware.com/upload/trjht.mp3

There was much hysteria in our area.  Lower Pav was uncontrollable at last he has seen a hat trick.   60 all out was Derbyshire’s lowest ever score against us. I went over to the Turkey Corner side of the Warner Stand and we all thought Terry’s spirit was looking down at us.

Tea followed with us needing 77 runs to win.

We Only Need 3 Days.

Just before we resumed Harringay Racer stated, perhaps tongue firmly in cheek, that the 77 target might be too much. Also Clare’s first ball would be a hat trick one.    No chance of an immediate hat trick as two hat-trick victims Groenwald and Palldino opened the bowling. Panic for us, as Robbo clean bowled 2^nd over for 0. Score on 4.

 By the time Clare was introduced to attack we were 36-1 and no alarms.  Nobody I guess knew about his potential hat trick ball.  There was an edge by Bucko half way through the over that bisected slips and gully.  That seemed to take away any enthusiasm the Derby fielders may have had. There was a similar edge for 4 and once we were over 50-1 Lower Pav and me sang a chorus of “ We only need 3  days” his favourite 4-day chant. There was a period of blocking which Godleman esque rate was good news for me as I had a bottle of wine to finish. Then  before we knew it we scored the winning runs, was it a 4 or a 6, I  was confused by the scoreboard,  I was advised later it was a four off of a no ball, but who cares.

 A 9 wicket win. Someone also pointed out we are going downhill after 10 wicket win in previous game.  There was also positive potential Champions feel for a clinical win 3rd day win having been even after 2 days.   

I make no apologies for repeating, of all days in memory of a person who loved classy performances there was pure Middlesex class today.

 And There’s More- Seaxe Awards

This may seem odd, but today was also the Seaxe Club end of 2012 season awards   This is an event I felt inclined to attend. Straight after close of play we moved to the Middlesex Room.  Due to the earlier than expected finish there was a long wait before the event got started.  It was well worth the wait.   Toby Roland Jones received the 2012 player of season award and another award for what happened today.   This event is normaly one of decorum but a Toby Roland Jones chant had to be resounded when he passed our way. There were awards for other other young cricketers- from the stats mentioned Ryan Higgins remember that name.

 Thanks to Beefy for picture

In Summary

I will describe Friday 19^th April 2013 as one of those all time memorable quality cricket days on so many levels.