Best not good enough

By London Lark
May 15 2010

London Lark reports on a cold rather disappointing performance yesterday. Fpr those who didn't brave the elements on reading this are probably glad they didn't bother.

3.40pm is not a natural time to start a cricket match – itis far too precise and also confusing in that I arrived just before 3.40 or soI thought only to find that Lord’s time was ahead of me and we were alreadywell into the first over. No matter because nothing much happened at first. Hadtime to get settled just before Dawid Malan took an excellent diving/tumblingcatch to get rid of the dangerous Franklin. Good start.  Shame it didn’t last.

Middlesex were chirpy, bowled tight and fielded withenthusiasm.  Batty and Porterfieldwere watchful and the innings meandered along.  Toby Roland-Jones bowled a decent line and got a deservedlbw.  Owais Shah patrolled theMoundstand offering opinion on the pitch to nearby spectators and advice onfield placing to the bowlers. He suggested Collins and TRJ change places at onepoint because “Pedro doesn’t have an arm”.  Strange – I thought he had two! Anyway they did swap andjust after Pedro proved he had hands taking a skied chance very safel.

Not long after Berg hit the stumps with a direct throw,after many near misses as Gloucester went literally for quick runs.

And then Scott Newman – yes Newman – took a wonder catch –well a really good running, diving and tumbling catch to get rid of thedangerous Marshall who had been steadily accelerating.  And as a succession of Gloucesterbatsmen got themselves out swishing at accurate bowling, things looked good at218/8, but one ball lost us momentum: a no ball hit for two  - the free hit hoicked for 6: ten runsoff one ball; it should have been 218/9; the innings ended at 246 and just over5 an over became 6 an over and all the swing towards Gloucester.

As for the Middlesex innings there never was anymomentum.  Most of the batsmenlooked good for a bit; the Mound Stand got a peppering of boundaries, but nothinglasted – as soon as any got settled they managed to hit the ball straight to afielder;  Malan who had beenlooking the most stickable of all the batsmen ran himself out as he seemed toindulge in a yes/no/wait/yes/no/sorry negotiation with himself after a misfiledwhile John Simpspon had not moved an inch.  Pedro Collins hit his first ball for 6 but he and JohnSimpson are not White and Hussey and we ended up well short, with about nineovers left.  And it was freezing.

And the umpires look as is they have borrowed their outfitsfrom the local security store or the Highways Agency.  What will it look like on Sunday – Dutch Orange, MiddlesexPink and Umpires Lime Green – fashionistas beware!