Middlesex CCC
Despite Ed Joyce Middlesx have reason To Rejoice
By Middle Luke
July 17 2013
Middle Luke gives an entertaining , comprehensive report on his view of day 1 at Hove.
My other half lives in Brighton so I decided months ago to come to four of the five days at Hove...the fifth unfortunately ruled out due to league scoring commitments. After guiding a cricket-hater through the joys of 20/20, and only my second Middlesex win in the format, last night (the joy of Stirlo's opening salvo totally lost on her), I felt confident that we could continue the demolition of Sussex characterised by Denners' broken window in the t20. But in the hottest week of the year, it was surely a good toss to win. Get the Sharks out in the field for 5 sessions then roll the exhausted big fish?
I arrived at the ground shortly after the toss (having got slightly lost on my way to the ground) to hear that Sussex were batting. Surely they had won the toss...but no, some Sussex fans informed me we had put them in. Odd decision from Dex in the hottest week of the year...
Very disappointed also to hear that Patel had not been picked....of the two, he seems far more promising than Sandhu, although it is always good to see young players coming through. Shame also that TRJ was not fit although he does need a rest and has a bit of a history of injuries. Two odd decisions, which Dex would be berated for if they went wrong. First thing I noticed when Dial M started bowling was the brilliant scoreboard that displays the figures of both current bowlers. Kudos to SCCC.
Half hearted LBW appeal in 3rd over. 5 overs in...no danger, 22/0 and decision to insert looking ever stranger. End of 6th, Middlesex think they have Nash, umpire unmoved. Could be crucial. Like the Sussex fans near me, I heard nothing, but Corey seemed convinced...
At 12:40 it was getting a little too hot and I sacrificed a seat for shade, leaning against the rail of the net cage. Sussex going nicely 'Too easy...no hurry we have all week' say the Sussex fans near me. At 12:45 I wrote 'stage set for Sandhu'. Seconds later, 'Surjit Gandhu' was announced by Sussex's reserve PA!
I was right. Shortly after the drinks (read 'ice cream') break, Gurjit finds the edge of Wells' bat and his first senior wicket (?). The next over, Berg does the same for Yardy and former Panther (Crusader?) Joyce comes in, the score 49/2. Did Dex see something in the pitch?!
Bit of a lull after that, when Monty having a bowl at Hatchett in the nets, urged on by 25 schoolkids, was marginally more entertaining, but Sandhu seemed to be bowling far tighter than he did last night. A 4 from Joyce took a little shine off but his first 6 went for just 12. Just as Joyce was looking set, Berg got one to move slightly and did for the t20 destructor, Nash. At 76-3, maybe there was some logic to bowling first?
89/3 at lunch, and our session albeit marginally. Not one over of spin in the session, which is odd in such hot weather. Seamers will be knackered. Timo concedes one and then it is Gurjit on, not sure what happened so Surjit Gandhu in the lunch interval....either way news reaches me that he will be the one to make way for Finn if (when) he is dropped from the test side. Explains the decision to go with just one spinner I guess. Sandu and Murts open up after lunch and Sussex bat steadily, passing 100 without alarm.
37 overs in, I moved back to my standing position to cool down. Sandhu's head was starting to droop...surely Rayner soon? We needed Joyce out, really. He had 40 by 3.20 when not Rayner but Dex replaced Gandhu. Immediately, Rory Hamilton-Brown-Smedley-Smythe left a straight one and lost his off stump to depart for 16. What would the odds have been on the first 4 wickets being shared between Berg, Sandhu and Dex?! Still Joyce piled on the runs, next over with a gorgeous back foot off-drive which shot over the fastest outfield I can ever remember for four in no time at all. Wright got off the mark with a streaky edge that could have gone anywhere but beat Denly at point. My feeling was that this was the crucial partnership, with Joyce settled and Wright having been our scourge in both Lord's games earlier in the summer. Nothing streaky about the 4 hit by Wright off Dex in the 42nd over...sweetly timed off drive, beautiful shot.
An hour after lunch, Joyce reached his 50 with a beautiful drive off Dexter. Yet another 50 from a former player this season. At least it wasn't as turgid as Billy the Kid's back in May! Berg came back on as Murts went off for a suncream break! Wasn't long before he was warming up again though.
At the half way stage of the day, drinks were taken with Sussex approaching parity again on 136-4, though Berg and Dex had put the brakes on the scoring rate just as Wright and Joyce had threatened to cut loose. I felt we really needed to break the partnership and ideally get both these two before tea.
4 o'clock and Dexy goes for local knowledge, as Corey comes on at the Sea End. Immediately he finds Joyce's edge but the ball does not carry to Simmo and, of course, the next ball slides over the ice-like surface for 4 through square leg. The next one lifts and Joyce plays and misses. Looks a good change to me. Another edge gives Joyce another 4 but he still doesn't look comfortable. On the other hand, two beautiful off drives from consecutive Berg deliveries passing Sussex's 150. An odd moment ensues as all 3 slips appear to be warming up...Rayner and Voges understandable but ROBSON? Anyone ever seen him bowl? It is funny!
Wright tries a wild swipe off Corey and almost plays on. So predictably that I wrote this note before it happened, he eases the next ball through mid-off for four. 159-4 and these two starting to look set. So finally, after 53 overs, Rayner comes on. Robson takes the lid at short leg. Sandhu on at the Cromwell for the first time, replacing the melted Iceman. For the first time he is a bit wayward and Joyce clips one off his legs to bring up the 50 partnership, followed by another one, identical, next ball. Sandhu takes his cap after a poor over, but it might have contributed positively anyway as Rayner then comes up with the vital moment, tempting Wright into one shot too many, chipping a simple catch to Dexter. Big big big wicket.
Joyce, now on 74, was clearly now the key to Sussex's innings. Ben Brown was next to go, chipping Sandhu up to Berg for just 7 and the second bowling point before Sussex had managed one. Slurrey reject no. 2, Chris Jordan, struggles to make it through the over. After a poor start to his spell, Sandhu now looked very dangerous. But Jordan and Joyce made it though to tea with the score 189-6, Sandhu taking 2-54 at that point.
Murts back for the first over after tea, looking for his first wicket. Sure enough, Jordan left a straight one and became the second to be bowled trying to leave a ball in the innings. It was starting to look like we wouldn't need to get Joyce out, and when Magoffin nicked off to Simmo in the same over, that looked even less necessary. Joyce then had a couple of lucky escapes including a miscue that dropped between two potential catchers to bring up Sussex's first batting point.
My attention wandered slightly for a while as Sussex blocked and prodded their way through the next half hour in the Borewickshire impression that every county but Middlesex seem to do at one point in each match. Joyce broke that with a ridiculous upper cut off Berg for six to bring up his century, and the crowd rose to what had been a decent innings apart from one spell of streakiness.
After 79 overs the 9th wicket had produced 30 runs and Dex put himself on for Rayner, whose threat seemed to have waned. Once again the change worked, and Joyce chopped the 2nd ball of the over onto his stumps to bring you-know-who in to bat. His normal ovation robbed from him because of that given to Joyce, Monty strode to the crease looking like Bradman, but tried the ugliest of cross-batted heaves first ball in a decidedly un-Bradman-like first shot. He blocked a couple of balls then heaved another one off his legs for one. New ball available, but Berg continued, and Monty kept shooting from the hip, thwacking a single to Collymore to allow Anyon to nick off to Robson at slip and end the innings at 229. A fantastic return under pressure after an odd decision to insert on such a hot day.
13 overs remained for Robson to survive with his partner, who turned out to be Malan again. Still don't get that when Denly is actually an opener. Does it suggest Malan might make way for London when fit? Robson gets Middlesex underway first ball with a leg bye off Anyon, and Malan drops one on his off side for a quick single off the fifth. We are underway, in search of a big lead, I would suggest.
Magoffin opens up at the Sea End as the seagulls close in. There were definitely more than 2 behind square on the leg side for Robson at one point, but it seems seagulls don't count....at least as long as they don't peck the ball! 13 overs was, I thought, just enough to make a really significant dent in the Sussex total, and if we could survive the session, we would effectively be starting again in the morning in pursuit of a score some way under 200. The first half of the mini-session looked fine, Malan and Robbo making batting look much easier than it had in the first innings, and we got to 16/0 off six with just one chance, a sharp catch to mid-off put down off Robson.
8 overs in and Chris Jordan comes on. Have a bit of a soft spot for him because he never did anything for Surrey and he's the only Black British player I can think of since Chris Lewis who was one of my favourite players when I was a kid. Conceded four runs off his first over and again Robmala look totally unfazed. I have always loved watching Robson and whilst Malan is not a 4-day opener, he is undeniably great to watch. 4 to go and surviving the session unscathed is becoming more and more real. With TRJ out, I wonder whether Rayner might be padded up to repeat his heroics as NWM at Trent Bridge last year. He nearly is called on, as Robbo edges Jordan to Brown behind the stumps, but he inexplicably drops a simple catch, injuring himself in the process. He's soon OK, but with Middle reaching stumps at 44/0, only 185 in arrears, his team are not. It feels like our game at the moment, long way to go yet but maybe the title race is back on?! Monty had a one over cameo, the final over at the Sea End, Robbo cutting the 2nd ball for a single and Mala cutting the fifth for four.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:07:20:06:06:35 by The Diamond ruled ok.
Only thing I would say is don't be so quick to judge a player- particularly a newcomer.
Very pleased Gurjit Sandhu had a decent debut. His wickets in the seconds suggested he was ready for the step up to the first team, and he didn't let anyone down.
It's difficult trying to integrate three young players (Sandhu, Patel, Rossington) into the firsts in the same season- but all are progressing nicely. But at this stage they are not automatic first choices, so we need to give them a break if they don't instantly score a hundred or take 6-20 on debut.
After the PA said our new bowler Surgit Gandhu was at the sea end,Murts was nearly on the floor with laughter.He was calling him 'surg' all day.I feel it is going to stick...LOL
At the start of this report you say you were disappointed patel was left out (fine) but add that he seems far more promising than Sandhu. That's what I mean about a quick judgement. You never know- they might both be good enough. Coey Collymore won't last for ever, so it's essential we find out what Sandhu can do now.
I look forward to a number of people from the 2nds who seem to be coming through showing what they can do in the next year or so. Rossington is clearly a very talented player.
Thanks.
For those of you taking Luke to task over his opinions, he was prepared to put to paper in this report,they are just that HIS opinions and view of the game. Instead of taking him to task maybe you would like to do a match report?
Even a remote report will at least keep the site going,without new blood reporters don't get me wrong this site WILL die.
Recently it was mentioned that a few of the "regulars" would not be doing as many reports this season and we would struggle to cover at times so without the likes of Luke we would be in trouble.
No slight to others who have and will do reports as all are gratefully recieved.
And I like opinions (even if I don't agree with them) rather than fence sitting.
But Luke does seem quick to judge someone as brilliant or useless on the basis of one performance.
