DEADLINE APPROACHING: 31 DECEMBER 2006 at 23:59. See if you can predict Middlesex’s starting XI for its first County Championship match of 2007 before the end of 2006. 

Who will take the field on 18 April 2007 in Taunton?  And what will the Middlesex batting line up be for the first innings of that match?

The person who gets closest wins one of our famous small prizes.

“Closest” is firstly determined by “correct number of players in the team”.  If that “score” is equal, the correct choice of captain and wicketkeeper comes into play.  If the “score” is still equal, the tie breaker is based on position in the batting order, with one unwanted point allocated for each error in placement in the batting order.  Twelfth man counts for nothing in this game.

It’s easy peasy - all you need to do is come up your chosen XI and e-mail that predicted team to:

mtwdadmin@googlemail.com

Please use the subject line “2007 Starting XI”.

Stumps for this competition will be drawn at 23:59:59 GMT on 31 December 2006.

Those seeking inspiration might wish to look at a thread that discussed this matter earlier in the closed season, but remember that things have moved on since then:

http://www.sportnetwork.net/boards/read/s66.php?f=67&i=39513&t=39513&sid=66

Also to help inspire people – here is Ged Ladd’s prediction.

Compton

Hutton

Shah

Smith (Capt)

Malan

Nash

Scott (Wkt)

Johnson

Kartik

Silverwood

Richardson

You can change your entry at any point up until the deadline, but only your last entry will qualify for the competition.  So put in your joke entry before you put in your serious one!

The best and worst entries will be praised/vilified on MTWD very early in the new season.

And of course the winning entry will win one of those famous MTWD prizes.