One of many decent scores

By London Leprechaun
September 12 2016

London Leprechaun gives us a remote view of the days play at Old Trafford which these days involves many different technologies especially when trying to keep an eye on more then match at a time. Along with a diary of the day we also hear about floodlight issues and an ex Middlesex player doing us a major good turn. 

Having had to abandon plans to get to Manchester for various reasons, my view of this match will be entirely radio and web based. The Lancashire website has a webcam where you can see matchstick people in white, but it is static and distant. Already I miss the Notts live stream and really hope other Counties follow this initiative.

After managing to remember that it is a 10.30 start I get to hear the first half an hour with Middlesex batting.  There is a long discussion about the toss with KH adamant that we should have bowled first on a cloudy morning, with the floodlights on by the sound of it; on the basis that to win the match our best bet was to get at Lancashire while conditions were good.  Lancashire commentators helpfully pointed out that all Lancashire’s wins this season have come with the other side batting first.  As I found out later Lancashire players must have felt the same as they obviously won the toss. Indeed that half hour sounds a little edgy and there were a couple of huge (at least noisy) lbw appeals but otherwise all sounded reasonably calm. And good news from Yorkshire helped.

Driving, an early lunch because of rain in London and other errands meant my next appointment with the radio came in the afternoon when our score combined with regular wicket alerts from Leeds made afternoon chores very bearable.

We also get a slightly bizarre delay for bad light when the players came off because they had to wait for the floodlights to cool down from being switched off at lunch time or they would have exploded. But once they were back on normal service resumed.  Lancashire commentators are still worried about their prospects and are not exactly complimentary about their bowling attack – minus Wagner and of course Anderson. Tom Smith, the Lancashire batsmen joins the commentary and is a bit bemused by the fact that Yorkshire need to be supporting Lancashire in this match.  He finds it unlikely that Yorkshire supporters could ever support Lancashire! Meanwhile Middlesex are coasting by the sound of it until a mistake by Nick Gubbins gifts a wicket. We can allow him that after the season he has had and the start he has given us today.

Compo comes in, hits his first ball for four then goes into static mode for a long time.  At least until Robbo is out unexpectedly. But Dawid Malan dispels any likelihood of anything silly happening, Compo gets going and Middlesex get a point before tea, as Yorkshire drop five.  So far so good today.  Only mildly tempered by Somerset losing a wicket before they score. Hope this is not a repeat of the match at Taunton in reverse.

So my main aim after tea is not to hear any beeps from my phone with wicket alerts from anywhere up North as my commentary listening will be a bit sporadic.

Get to hear a bit of commentary just as Compo hits a huge six which seems to take everyone by surprise.  From the commentary Lancashire are bowling poorly and fielding poorly; exemplified by what could have been a run out chance, turning into two. The new ball seems to be their next hope (and Yorkshire’s today!) according to the KH and the commentators. Meanwhile Chris Rogers is helping our cause across the Pennines. Good stuff, though Compo is bowled not long after. Another out of the blue wicket it sounds like but we are well placed and nice to see that, so far, everyone has contributed a score. Good team effort.

And then just as I am having to leave for a meeting we come off for proper bad light about the same time as Yorkshire by the sound of it. But the news from Leeds is good.  So we can all take a deep breath and get nervous/excited/apprehensive – delete or add as necessary before tomorrow.