Into the Mystic

I had a weird dream Tuesday night. I dreamt that we had Sussex at 211/7 by tea having lost the toss again. I told my mates that I sit with and when Silvo took those two quick wickets well they thought I had the power of prophesy (a la Medium – a programme I watch regularly). By tea Sussex were only 4 wickets down, but given that we dropped catches, I was told that I had not been far off the mark.

Another mate, Tom is a member of both Middlesex and Surrey (you can’t win them all). I respect Tom’s cricket knowledge as he goes to many, many matches up and down the country (not just Middlesex and Surrey ones). Tom kept asking me for Somerset v Surrey updates, and kept asking if Surrey had got Langer out. I joked that Langer was going to get a double ton……………… and he did. I wish my ‘powers’ could be relied on regularly, however…………. You’ll just have to make do with ‘flashes’.

Let them eat cake - part II

I had already decided to encourage the boys with cakes for this match, as the last time they won a CC match was when I took them in some gateaux. As I left yesterday, Silverwood expressed a wish for chocolate cake so I called into the baker’s hoping for a full selection of gateaux. The delivery had not arrived, but I bought two cakes anyway and duly gave them to the boys this morning.

Domino

The morning started well with Luke Wright being bowled by the third ball of the morning, and bingo………….. I caught it on camera.

Seeing is believing – Silverwood bowls Wright, © Janet 2006

That gave us our second bowling point. We soon had more success within the first 5 overs of the morning as Louw took the wickets of Adams and Rayner within 3 balls (402/8). Soon there were 16 overs left of the 130 allotted for bonus points. Silverwood trapped Mushtaq lbw for 12 with the first ball of the next over. Full bowling points again, and yes I got it on camera again.

At this stage Sussex were 419/9. I was hopeful at this stage that we would soon wrap things up especially as Lewry started ‘wafting’ at balls without connecting. It was then things went rather pear-shaped as Arafat and Lewry swung the bat. Some of our bowling was truly dreadful. In one over, Peploe went for 20, and the next was a maiden. That’s how erratic his bowling was. I also thought that he was bowling from the wrong end as he was bowling from the Waterfall Rd end, and when he bowled against Yorkshire he bowled from the Adelaide end to great effect.

At 463/9 the last wicket partnership was really beginning to irritate me, especially when Arafat reached his 50. the comment I wrote in my notebook was: ”they don’t even look like they’re going to get a wicket”, and a few lines later: “ come on how hard is it to get the last wicket?”

Then Shah dropped a catch off Peploe’s bowling. The ball went sky high, and was air-borne for what seemed like hours…………. It went into Shah’s hands and straight through (490/9). To add to the indignity the next ball was hit for 6. I felt that the fielding was definitely missing the ‘Hutton factor’.

Oh dear…………. Just missed the 500 up as I was chatting to Ben Hutton at the time. At last Nash stumps Arafat off Peploe’s bowling. 507 all out. That last wicket partnership costing 88 runs……………………aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Did Ye Get Healed?

With 20 minutes to lunch our innings begins, with Smith and Compton opening. Wow Smith has survived the first over, and by the 3^rd over Smith was in double figures. Then disaster, Compton is lbw to Arafat for 1 (26/1) and all this with 5 minutes to go to lunch. By the 5^th over Mushtaq is bowling (Waterfall Rd end).

At 2.15pm a breeze blows all the advertising hoardings down in front of the pavilion, which caused some excitement. Ed Smith got to 50 in 46 balls and included 10 fours. Although the weather was more bearable today than yesterday the day was interspersed with drinks breaks at regular intervals. I missed the 100 up as I was talking to Nikki Styris and cooing over the baby.

Aghhhhhh we are on the dreaded Nelson 111, and survived for Smith to give a ‘soft’ dismissal at 112 (c Rayner b Lewry 75).

Ed Joyce then came to the crease and survived a dropped catch off Mushtaq (by Montgomerie) when he had only scored 7. The catch was an absolute sitter. Shah brought up his 50 in the 38^th over off 110 balls with 6 fours.

Goodwin then yells out “Why are the quickies bowling uphill and Mushtaq bowling downhill. That’s not fair”

Sussex also had fielding lapses, some of them elemental.

We quickly got to the 200 mark and Joyce grateful for the ‘life’ brought up his 50 in 62 balls (including 8 fours). By tea we were 210/2…………….. going well. Soon after bringing up the 100 partnership Joyce was stumped off Yardy’s bowling for 68 (234/3).

Shah holed out to a good low diving catch by Goodwin (off Arafat’s bowling) for 85, just when he looked like he would go on and reach three figures. Story of the day really, apart from Compton, all our batsmen got a start, got to 50, and got out in the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s.

Styris hit a huge 6 off Mushtaq, resulting in a lost ball. Sussex refused a ‘substitute’ one from the box and more time was wasted looking for that one, which was eventually found. With 6 overs left, after a few fours had clattered onto the patio in front of the pavilion Sussex demanded a ball change thus wasting more time. Styris brought up his 50 in 40 balls with one six and 8 fours. At close we were 344/4, close to a fourth batting point and well placed.

Janet Planet

The disappointing thing is most of the batsmen got good starts but got out between 50 and 100. A plus must be that Mushtaq is as yet wicketless and going for over 4 an over.

After the first few overs, our bowling was erratic to say the least. Yesterday was a more unbearable day heat-wise and humidity wise, yet our bowlers stuck to their task well restricting Sussex’s scoring rate. We are going at 4.5 an over. Hopefully if more batsmen can get the 50’s, 60’s etc, we should be able to match their score if not pass it to set up an interesting last day. The new ball is not due until at least 12 overs tomorrow morning, so the ‘dew factor’ should have gone by then