Pitch looks good here

By Haringay Racer
May 29 2016

Haringay Racer desrcribes in great detail , on what started off with a chilly feel weather and Middlesex wise, but ended up with warmer feelling on both accounts.  This is a good read whether you were at game or missed out and wondering how we reached such a good position.

The weather forecast promised sunny and warm so it came as something as a shock to arrive at Merchant Taylors’ to find cloudy skies and a brisk wind blowing in from the lake end. Hampshire didn’t fancy bowling and opted for a toss. Adam Voges won and took the time-honoured approach of making the opposition do what they didn’t want to do. Middlesex gave James Fuller his county debut, replacing James Harris, while Hampshire gave Joe Weatherley his championship debut.

Tino Best opened proceedings from the lake end, running in past umpire Neil Mallender who felt the need to wear gloves as protection against the cold wind. After a maiden from Best to Sam Robson, James Tomlinson opened from the Benham end and saw his first ball squirted low through the slips by Nick Gubbins for the first of many threes scored during the day. Tino was clearly unhappy with the conditions as the third over was delayed while he scuffed his landing area with his boot and called for some sawdust. Tomlinson’s second over saw a loud appeal for lbw against Gubbins followed by a nick to third slip. 6 for 1, Gubbins 4. That brought Dawid Malan to the crease following his T20 heroics. His first ball saw him play the ball very late indeed off his legs and caused a stifled appeal from the fielders who thought he’d missed it.

There was a little assistance from the pitch in the early stages. Best was bowling very quickly but also a little erratically. Keeper Wheater had to make a diving stop to prevent a wild leg-side delivery from going for byes but then missed the next one which beat both him and Robson for pace outside off stump and did reach the boundary. Soon afterwards Robson clipped a ball from Best to Weatherley at backward square leg who scooped it up. None of the fielders at the striker’s end appeared to appeal but Best did. After a brief discussion the verdict was not out. Robson’s reprieve was short-lived though as two balls later he edged Best to Jimmy Adams at second slip. 14 for 2, Robson 2.

Adam Voges joined Malan and rode his luck initially with an attempted clip through mid wicket going past gully, another shot going over a leaping gully and an appeal for a legside catch to the keeper being turned down. Gradually, though, the batsmen were looking more comfortable bringing up the 50 in the 20^th over and reaching lunch at 86 for 2 after 28 overs, Voges 35, Malan 36. The over rate was at a Middlesex-like minus 2. 

After lunch it was almost all Middlesex as, apart from a few half-chances over or wide of slips (and one mis-hook just wide of Wheater that clearly didn’t amuse the bowler – do I need to say who?) Malan and Voges did pretty much what they liked. Voges reached his fifty first, off 103 balls, followed soon after by Malan (82 balls). Spin was introduced in the shape of Liam Dawson’s left arm at the end of 40 overs (with the rate at minus 4) and the 150 came up in the 42^nd over, followed by the 150 partnership in the 49^th.

The much-vaunted legspinner Mason Crane came on from the Benham End. His first ball was short to Malan; it may have been a googly or it may just have been angled across the batsman. Either way Malan’s eyes lit up and he square cut it for 4. Crane was having a problem of pitching too short then overcompensating with the resulting full tosses being punished. During this period Malan helped himself to five runs from a quick single followed by a shy at the stumps which eluded keeper and slip. At that point I noticed that the pavilion clock, which had agreed with my watch at the start of play, was now five minutes fast. Tea was taken at 216 for 2, Malan 97, Voges 85, over rate minus 2.

Immediately after tea Malan took a sharp single – judging by the fielders’ body language the throw was very close to the stumps and Malan wasn’t. In the next over a beautiful drive off Best took him to 102 off 176 balls. Soon afterwards he launched Crane over his head for a straight six then uppercut Best for six over third man. That didn’t improve Tino’s mood, nor did an attempted pull a couple of balls later that looped just over Best’s head. In the 73^rd over Voges went from 91 to 103 with successive fours off Crane from a short ball, a full toss and another short ball, rather reinforcing the point about Crane’s control. Dawson replaced Crane and it came as a complete surprise when Malan edged him to Ervine at slip. 293 for 3, Malan 147.

Simpson and Voges saw things out to the close without any great difficulty, even after the new ball was taken, and with some excellent strokes particularly by Simpson off Best,  to leave Middlesex on a very handy 342 for 3, Voges 128, Simpson 28. Maximum batting points should be very gettable, but then the hard work starts.