It can be done

By Big Harvey
September 2 2016

Big Harvey gives us a vivid desccription of an eventful day at the cricket and an eventful prevous night at work as well as some celebrity spotting - hands us who else would have recognised a former Greek politician, and some beer tasting. Thanks for the entartainment

I set out from Bristol seriously regretting my decision to agree to write a match report on the back of a 12 hour night shift. Watching cricket with no sleep after working nights is seldom a good idea but with so little of the season left and potential viewing time limited I had gone along with it. Unfortunately my night at work had been an extremely hectic one, with contractors involved in piling for the Western Region electrification project managing to go through a 650v cable at 1am. Oh dear. This involved setting up elaborate measures for degraded working, only to have to withdraw them just as the service was starting, since the electricians managed to repair the cable minutes before I was due to be relieved.

On Birmingham New Street’s revamped station concourse, I had an experience similar to that described in that Half Man Half Biscuit song with Fred Titmus in the title, which is about unexpectedly spotting someone famous. As I sought desperately needed coffee, who should be coming the other way but the former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis!

The walk from New Street Station to Edgbaston seemed longer than I remembered it, and as seems customary for cricket grounds, the ticket office is at the far side of the ground even though there is a closer entrance for people who already have tickets. There were no complaints about the ticket price though. £15 with a FREE scorecard is excellent value for money.

After being all out for 242 yesterday, and Warwickshire starting on 1/0, early wickets were the order of the day against what looks a formidable top and middle order. TRJ and Podmore opened the bowling in conditions of bright sunshine and scattered cumulus cloud. Podmore’s fourth ball of the day induced an edge from Chopra, but this is a slow pitch, and it didn’t carry to slip. The same batsman edged TRJ over the head of Eskinazi at gully for the first boundary of the morning.

Chopra survived a huge appeal for caught behind off Podmore. Everyone went up for it but the umpire’s finger stayed down. It didn’t a couple of overs later as the same batsman departed for 14, in a manner that looked like a carbon copy of the one that wasn’t given. He had never looked comfortable. 33/1.

Rayner was introduced into the attack and was swept emphatically to the square leg boundary by Westwood. The pitch was looking far from the minefield it had been yesterday according to Seaxe Man who was there. Maybe the heavy roller had quietened it down? The few clouds were disappearing, and it was looking good for batting.

TRJ was brought back on with a change of ends, replacing Podmore after the latter’s fine 8 over opening spell. This proved to be an inspired move, as this resulted in Trott (4) edging him to Robson at 1^st slip. 49/2.

Bell came to the crease and clipped his first ball for a single to bring up the Warwickshire 50. Westwood notched up a couple of streaky boundaries off through third man off TRJ. The second one he appeared to be trying to withdraw his bat, but the ball got to him quicker than expected.

Franklin replaced TRJ and Ravi Patel replaced Rayner just before Lunch. The latter got one to turn and bounce on Westwood, perilously close to his off stump. On the stroke of Lunch Rayner replaced Franklin to create the rare (for Middlesex) spectacle of spin at both ends.

 Lunch: 75/2.

 Middlesex resumed with Patel and Podmore. Westwood posted his 50 with an on drive for 4 off Patel. He was then dropped on 58 by Compton at gully off Podmore. It was a fairly sharp chance which Compton got his left hand to, but couldn’t hold on.

Podmore and Patel were replaced by TRJ and Rayner. Westwood edged one from Rayner along the ground to bring up the Warwickshire 100. At this stage I was struggling to stay awake, having not slept for close to 24 hours. Warwickshire’s progress was slow, and although their approach could not really be criticised given the nature of the pitch and the context of the game, it was not making for exciting viewing.

Patel replaced TRJ for spin at both ends again, and over rate fans were heartened to see the rate climb to +3! Unfortunately both batsmen were looking increasingly comfortable, slowly accumulating, until completely out of the blue a watershed moment that was to turn the innings on its head. Bell facing Rayner played an on-drive which Rayner managed to get his right hand down to, slowing it, but not stopping it. Bell called for the run, saw there wasn’t one there due to TRJ homing in on it from mid-on, and sent Westwood back, leaving him stranded. TRJ successfully shied at the stumps and the unlucky Westwood departed for 81 through no real fault of his own. There was slight controversy because some felt he might have been obstructed by Rayner, but the bowler had every right to be where he was and both the appeal and decision correctly stood. 122/3. [Ed note: If anyone has not seen the incident see it on the Middlesex Twitter Feed]

 Hain came to the crease and failed to trouble the scorers, edging a beauty from Patel that turned and bounced to Franklin at slip. 122/4.

Bell (19) soon followed, a huge scalp for Patel, caught behind by Simpson. 127/5. The crippling tiredness I had been feeling a few minutes previously was now just a memory!

Good wicket to take

Even better was to come with Clarke (0) joining the procession, LBW to Rayner. 128/6.

Barker’s arrival signalled a change of tempo, sweeping Rayner for a boundary, and playing a crazy reverse sweep or switch hit type of shot for 4 off Patel that some claimed had come off the back of the bat! He skied one off Rayner that could have been taken by TRJ at mid-on but the fielder lost sight of it against the sun.

Warwickshire posted their 150 just before Tea and went in at 151/6, with the over rate at a staggering +8!!! Plenty of time for Middlesex to work out a plan to get rid of the aggressive Barker.

They did exactly that and although Barker (22) tried to continue his positive approach after Tea he was frustrated by the Middlesex leg trap. Rayner drew him forward for an ambitious swish, which was taken by Simpson who removed the bails. We thought it was a stumping but the scoreboard said it was a catch. Comprehensively out either way.152/7.

Jeetan Patel (0) followed next ball, bowled middle stump by Rayner for a first ball duck. 152/8.

Wright (8) was next, Robson showing remarkable reflexes to hold on to a very sharp chance at short leg off Rayner. 172/9.

Poysden (0) was last to go, skying one from Rayner, Podmore running from mid wicket to take the catch, giving Ollie another 5-fer (5/49). 172 all out, 8 wickets for just 50 runs conceded, and an imposing looking lead of 70 that had looked decidedly unlikely while Bell and Westwood had been at the crease slowly accumulating. Mellor (18*) was the not out batsman.

A  decent catch

Middlesex began their second innings positively, Gubbins opening his and Middlesex's account with a trademark cover drive to the boundary off the final ball of Barker's opening over. Robson followed suit off the first ball of Wright's over.

Warwickshire brought spin into the attack quickly, and Jeetan Patel (replacing Wright) got immediate turn and bounce. Gubbins on 15 was fortunate to survive when both slips failed to hang on to what was a fairly easy chance for both of them. 1st slip could only parry it, Chopra at second slip really should have held onto the parry but didn't. A double drop.

Poysden replaced Barker and had a full toss crashed to the long on boundary by Gubbins to bring up the 100 lead. The positive approach continued, Robson clouting Patel over deep mid off, bouncing just a metre inside the rope, and a Gubbins slog sweep off Poysden clearing Wright who was fielding near the square leg boundary, but again bouncing just inside the rope.

Wright was reintroduced to the attack and the 50 partnership was brought up with a nudge to square leg by Gubbins off him. A fine effort. Robson almost presented him with a caught and bowled chance, mistiming a drive off a slower ball, but it passed almost in slow motion just out of reach of the bowler's outstretched arm.

Surprisingly, with the light getting worse, increased cloud cover, and conditions looking very favourable to bowling, Warwickshire wasted time to minimise the number of overs they had to bowl. I doubt the batsmen were complaining, and Middlesex had reached 63/0 at stumps, a very commanding lead of 133 with the general consensus being that any lead above 200 would likely be close to unassailable on this pitch.

All in all I was glad I made the trip in the end, and a couple of pints of a very tasty India pale ale called Jaipur in a pub near New Street Station rounded off a very enjoyable day.