Snorewickshire La La La

By Fozzie
May 31 2015

Fozzie having recieved some Good Vibrations on phone agrees to report for those Surfing on MTWD on a day that was close to being Fun Fun Fun. God Only Knows    how that catch was dropped. 

The previous day’s FA Cup Final seemed to offer an excellent omen for this match: a bravura performance by the team from North London sweeping away the visitors from Birmingham.  But when Sunday dawned more mundane matters were paramount, and the morning was spent pursuing the occupational hazard of a cricket fan in England – gathering weather reports and updates from Lord’s, and trying to gauge whether it was worth journeying in.  But news of an early lunch and a possible start at 1.10 sounded hopeful, and with the weather brightening I set off, with an umbrella packed just in case.

Happily, the umbrella proved unnecessary, though when I arrived at 2.30 the pitch was still covered. There were more groundstaff than players out in the middle, and probably more people on the field of play than were in the stands.  Play eventually started at 3.00, with cloudy and overcast conditions but no rain.  “James Franklin leading out the Middlesex team,” announced Mr Perambulator, although in fact the skipper had already been out for some time bowling at a stump, and he had to trot hallway back to the pavilion to join his team for the obligatory huddle. As a result we had the unusual sight of the batsmen and umpires in the middle waiting for the fielding side. I’d assumed that Franklin had been preparing to put in a bowling shift, but in fact that was the last time today that he turned his arm over.  As for team news, Eoin replaced Nick Gubbins, but there was no place for Dawid Malan.

Finny and TRJ opened to Chopra and Javid, and after a quietish start the third over was full of incident.  Finny sent 4 wides went down the legside, and this was followed by a lengthy consultation by the umpires about the light. Happily, they decided to carry on, and Javid promptly edged a chance that the diving Joe Burns failed to hold at third slip. The over concluded with another 4 byes.  Extras had once again got off to a storming start, though fortunately was unable to maintain this pace.

Finny seemed to have some difficulty locating his radar at first, and Chopra hit consecutive 4s through cover and then midwicket.  But with the score on a brisk 37 and starting to look ominous, Finny found his groove and had Chopra well caught by Ollie at slip. The debutant Jonathan Webb came in and soon drove Harry twice for 4, shots that were considerably more elegant than the one with which he had got off the mark, fending one off his ribs while executing a kangaroo hop.  At 53 a similar delivery from Finny discomforted him again, and Sam dived forward at short-leg to take a fine catch.  In Finny’s next over the pair repeated the trick to remove Javid, and at 54-3 the momentum was with Middlesex.  It could have got even better when Evans, still not off the mark, flicked at one which went straight into Moggy’s hands at leg-slip – and out again.

Finny’s opening spell of 10 overs was 3-31, having conceded 24 from his first 3 overs.  It was a fine display of pace and hostility.

Jonathan Trott and Evans survived till tea (taken 3 balls early due to bad light) without further mishap.  Play resumed on time, and as the sun came out batting seemed to become easier.  Dex had a loud appeal for a catch behind off Evans turned down, but generally the batsmen looked comfortable throughout the session.  By the close of play their unbeaten partnership of 92 had taken the score to 148-3.  The match looks very evenly poised.

So in the end we saw 51 overs, rather more than had seemed likely in the morning.  I enjoyed the company of Barmy Kev and also Mr and Mrs Rogers And Out, who were gently resting after a good lunch.  At the close, as the R&Os trooped off to a Beach Boys concert, Kev sighed “Wouldn’t It Be Nice if Moggy had taken that catch?” But only time will tell who the Heroes and Villains of this match will be…