Middlesex CCC
Twenty20 Finals Day - Nialler's Match
Would We? Could We?
By Nialler
February 8 2009
On a day when Middlesex and England fans are in shock, it seems a good time to launch a short series that reminds us of success. In the first of this small series, Nialler describes his Twenty20 Final. Nialler is our Paris correspondent, so it was a slightly different day for him and also, it seems, for Mrs Nialler. Many thanks to the Niallers!
Well, it was a difficult day.
No facilities at home to watch the games, but a blindingly fast network at least allowed access to radio coverage over the 'net. Mrs Nialler was open to the idea of my making a trip to the Irish bar in ¨Place de Clichy" to watch one of the games, but with a toddler at home, to watch both was too much of an ask. So the question was: which one to watch? Trips to the Irish bar are rather strictly rationed, so this was a facer. Whether to watch the 'sex romp home in the semi and trudge home to listen to them play a final, or to stay home, listen to them slide to defeat gainst a fancied Durham side and then have a furlough become an opportunity to watch Durham play Kent (it was always going to be Kent) in the final.
Matters intervened; we're having our place restored and two meetings with architects cropped up which meant that I could see the Middlesex innings in the semi but had to be home for the final.
I didn't care after the semi. I simply knew that Henderson would either be opening or batting number three and the 8 overs of spin bowled by Udal and TSO gave me great confidence that the final would be good.
Meetings over and done with, my exhausted wife needed a nap on the couch, so I took the laptop to the kitchen, inserted headphones and cooked up a storm while Joyce, Shah and Morgan did the business. My tournedos, with a red wine/mushroom sauce and grilled vegetables (and good old mash) were done to a turn by the time the interval arrived and Mrs Nialler - without prompting - had the lot scoffed and was retiring to bed by the start of the Kent innings. The less said of that, the better. Out of deference to her tiredness I kept the headphones on so that the tinny sound of the internet radio wouldn't disturb her. Of course, when wearing headphones one's moans and groans (and cheers) are that bit louder.
My hope that she would rest easily wasn't helped by that dropped catch, by a couple of sixes and by some overthrows. But she managed to get through the ordeal.
Crusader Fans Celebrate Near the Eiffel Tower in Paris
It's an hour later over here, of course, so waiting for updates on the news services meant that I had to wait until an early hour before I could sleep having read all the quotes and the reactions. So the corkscrew was plied once more.
Woke up with a slight head, but with a grin. I can think of worse ways to get a hangover!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:02:16:08:26:05 by Ged.
