Voice from the Box

By Pantherlike
April 22 2011

Pantherlike reports from Oz based on the Internet commentary of Ian O'Brien. Follow the events of the day including what TV programe Panther was watching at the same time. read on...

When Kev, Barmier enough already as we all know, sends a spontaneous request to the other side of the world for a match report for the second day’s play at Derby, one could only surmise that the man had truly taken leave of his senses.
 
But such are the modern wonders of our world today notably via that bastion of all things wonderful, er, the Internet, it has come to pass that an Australian sitting in his evening arm chair in Melbourne, can listen to a New Zealander providing ball-by-ball commentary of a cricket game in Derby.  Astounding I know, but that’s how it is and so we shall quickly move on.
With Kevin Hand in Ireland, and DT, um, not attending the game, Ian O’Brien assumed the mantle for calling the game.  Resuming on a commanding 115/1 with the Derbyshire first innings effort of 154 well in their sights, with hot shot ex-Derbyshire recruit, and fellow Victorian, Chris Rogers on 66, Middlesex would, with due reason, be expecting to go out there, pile on the runs and build a big lead.
 
But such are the foibles of our modern LV= Championship and ECB decrees that now sees Championship matches squeezed edgeways in to the unbecoming month of April, well for red ball cricket that is, that the cooler morning air means that the pitch doesn’t really settle down into the day as quickly as it will come May or June.  Ian had been out that morning inspecting the pitch and had reported a cold surface, not as bad as had been encountered at the start of play on day one, but cold nonetheless.  This meant that there’d be much moisture still within, ready to be exploited by a bowling attack.
 
And so it proved.   Middlesex started the day well with a Rogers boundary in the first over, but that ex-Essex man, Palladino, had the Middlesex batsman tied-down and was redularly beating the bat with some well directed bowling.  First Rogers departed, only adding that one boundary to his overnight score edging Palladino for 70, then Dawid Malan offered a carbon copy the next ball.  Palladino on a hat-trick.  Sitting here watching Criminal Minds with IO’B calling the action in the background, I was wincing at Palladino’s decisive spell…enter Dex.  All would be fine now?
 
The new skipper was unlucky at Lord’s last week against Essex and whilst wanting the chance to just beat the stuffing out of the Derby bowlers knew he had to be more measured in these bowler-friendly conditions.  Dex was away with a commanding drive through third slip, then another streaky shot piercing the covers.  Quick runs were clearly in his mind, but then he was bowled by a straight delivery from Palladino, albeit only just clipping the bail.   Dex out for 8.  All of a sudden, 3 wickets had fallen in 25 minutes…Middlesex 131/4 and that April morning curse had struck yet again.
 
With listeners contributing their own take on events, mostly in the here-we-go-again basket of predictable Middx collapses, yours truly found it necessary to remind IO’B of the April conditions we found ourselves in.  IO’B concurred with this assessment.  Have a look at all the other games so far.  Most will follow the trend of early wickets with runs more available in the afternoon.
 
That morning session wasn’t quite all one way traffic.  Dan Housego was effectively stumping up the Middlesex innings with plenty of grit and determination, one hopes will become the hall mark of this new generation.   His new partner, Simpson did little to change the mood, of the away fans though.  John needed a dozen deliveries to get off the mark nearly getting runout in the process – and laboured for 46 minutes for his 7, which did in fact sop up much of the morning session, but Simpson was caught cutting to second slip.  162/5.  Just the wrong shot and the wrong time!
 
Berg entered the fray and in typical Iceman fashion gamely sought to shelve ‘his natural game’ for a much more considered approach, appropriate in the circumstances, but really not Gareth’s preferred method and fell for 10.  Agree with IO’B on that one.  Bergy just needed to be himself and do what he does best. 
 
Young Dan Housego had watched all this from the other end, and it was no mean feat listening to grind his way into the forties.
 
But his patience went unrewarded, bowled by Palladino for 48.   I must say that I found IO’B to be enjoying the tumbling wickets a little too much, but then again he is a bowler …and has probably watched one or two batsmen too many taking advantage of the liberties the game now affords them. I will say though that the quality and detail of Ian’s analysis certainly makes it easier to write this missive to you all.  Ian had noticed and commented a couple of time by now that the the number of balls Middx batsmen had left on the first day, had largely dried up as the Derbyshire bowlers, led mostly by Palladino got their lines right and were justly reaping quick scalps.
 
Rayner didn’t last long, a flick to third man his only contribution to the scoreboard.  He became Palladino’s fifth wicket of the morning session when Ollie was trapped leg before.  Lunch couldn’t come soon enough for the Middle.  187/7.  But at least a lead now of 33.
 
The tail, led by the newfound batting skills of Steven Finn who flayed three boundaries in his 15, we got it out to 230, a decent lead of 76.  How would Derbyshire reply?  Well, that would something this little panther would only find out the next day on the cricinfo, drawing stumps at around 11:30pm on a very busy week.  The Easter break is going to be good time off the clock!  But I shall close the report with a brief summary of the remainder of the day…perhaps others will be able to furnish this with more detail?
 
Well, as it was now the middle of the day and that pitch had settled down, the Derbyshire batting got off to the start it needed, albeit losing the early wicket of Madsen to run out by Berg (didn’t hear it – you’ll have to forgive me for not being able to describe what was surely stupendous fielding by the Iceman), Durston and newby Aussie Khawaja built a steady stand of 147 runs, first wresting back the lead and then starting to set one up.  Both fell to Dial M and Ice deliveries around a half hour before stumps, Hughes and Redfern getting Derbyshire out to a lead of 127 runs at the end of play with 7 wickets in hand.   
 
I expect Kev will have a reporter-on-the-ground for day 3 in what should be the decisive period of the match.  I’m predicting wickets again in the morning, provided we get the lines right and in doing so, should win.  But then again…nah, she’ll be right!!