Sparse Crowd

By Big Harvey
May 18 2011

Big Harvey reports on his efforts in making game, provides an insight into a comprehensive victory and comments on the chanting with references to Kimmy in shower. Read on.

I wasn't going to go to this one, since I had loads to do in the garden. Most pressing was the planting out of tomato and courgette plants. However I kidded myself that being a floodlit game with a late start, I would easily have time to both have a bit of a lie-in and accomplish this in the morning before heading off to the match. I therefore dutifully answered the call from Barmy Kev for match reporters. Inevitably though, once I was out in the garden, loads of other little jobs presented themselves. The containers needed watering, for example, and the carrot and parsnip seedlings were in danger of becoming choked with weeds. By the time I remembered that I still had tomatoes and courgettes to plant out, a look at my watch revealed that if I didn't head off to the game now, I would never make the start. It was then I remembered I had to buy electricity, so it was a dash to the shop to put credit on my smart-card, back home to put it in the meter, and off to Temple Meads Station, where I made my train with 3 minutes to spare. I hadn't had to actually run breathlessly as the porter blew his whistle or anything, but all the same it was not the most relaxing start to the afternoon.

As I took my place in the Edrich Upper, the sun briefly came out, but that was the last we were to see of it. The air felt heavy, humid, and overcast, with a chilly breeze. I thought the conditions looked perfect for bowling, and was a bit surprised when Worcestershire won the toss and elected to bat.

Colly, bowling from the Pavilion End was able to get a little bit of swing, but strangely there didn't seem to be much for anyone else. It was Murts though who got the early breakthrough in his first over with an off-cutter that went right through Shankar and hit the top of his bails. His first two overs were wonderfully accurate maidens.

For Worcestershire, Moeen Ali was looking in good nick, driving a couple of boundaries through cover off Colly in his first two overs, and a six over mid wicket off Murts.

Moheen Ali 6  over Cow Corner

At the 10 over mark, Worcestershire were 53/1, and looking comfortable. The Middlesex bowling was tight, and the fielding sharp, but the weather conditions just didn't seem to be helping the bowling as much as they looked as if they ought to.

Middlesex needed a wicket., The Iceman was introduced into the attack from the Nursery end, and duly came up with the goods, Ali (36) skying one to A.C. At deep point. Pinner (5) followed in The Iceman's next over, nicking one through to Simmo as he fished horribly outside the off-stump. Rex Hunt would not have been proud. The Iceman wasn't bothered though, and thanked his mother for the rabbit.

The 100 came up off 21.3 overs, and Worcestershire were still well-placed for a big total when Kervezee (47) mistimed an attempted steer to leg, resulting in a leading edge and the simplest caught and bowled Colly will ever take.

When Smith got in on the act, trapping Pardoe LBW for 11, things were really starting to look encouraging for Middlesex, leaving Worcestershire on 125/5. Some muttered that the ball had looked a little high, but it didn't look bad to me. Besides, Smith had bowled well and deserved his wicket.

Middlesex were keeping Worcestershire pinned down, and even when Cameron smashed Smith for a big six over cow corner, it only succeeded in bringing the run-rate up to 4.5 per over, with just 6 overs remaining.

His partner Andrew however was determined not to let the Worcestershire innings peter out. In the 36th over he repeated his partner's feat, this time off The Iceman, and even managed to clear the very long mid-wicket boundary off Murts to bring the run-rate up above 5.

Cameron brought up his 50 with a pull to the square leg boundary off the Iceman. It had taken 57 balls.

The 200 came up off 37.4 overs, and Andrew celebrated with another fine 6, this time off Ireland over long-on. Next ball though he holed out to Stirling at deep mid-wicket for 48. A deserved wicket for Ireland, and the end of an excellent partnership of 87, leaving Worcestershire on 212/6 with just 7 balls remaining.

Worcestershire managed just 5 more runs to finish 0n 217/6, Cameron undefeated on 60. It was a competitive total certainly, but Middlesex had bowled and fielded very well to restrict them to that score, and would surely fancy their chances on a pitch that had shown no sign of significant demons.

It had turned colder as tends to happen in the evenings, one of the the reasons why I'm not a fan of Day/Night cricket, at least in the English climate. The argument is that it supposedly brings in the crowds, but the crowd here was if anything more sparse than for the average day of County Championship cricket. My fingers had got so numb I was barely able to hold a pen, so I was glad to be able to retreat to the warmth of the Middlesex Room for a slice of cake and a cup of hot chocolate. There I met Barmy Kev, Beefy, and Kimmy, and joined them for the Middlesex reply in the lower tier of the Tavern Stand, where thankfully it was more sheltered.

1000's of Middx fans dressed as white seats

Scott Newman opened his account with a boundary off Whelan in the first over. A.C. followed suit with a square cut to the boundary off Whelan's next over. A.C. Looked in good touch, and was out-scoring his partner, a fact which may have led to the expansive pull which led to Newman's dismissal for 7. It was an easy catch for Pardoe at deep backward square off the bowling of Andrew. It must have been quicker than he anticipated, as it came off the splice of the bat. 32/1 off 6.5 overs.

We could clearly hear the resultant swearing from inside the dressing room even from the Tavern Stand! That man does not like getting out. In the event, his dismissal didn't slow the scoring rate, as Stirling in particular used the second power play to set the scoreboard racing along, helped it must be said by some pretty rank Worcestershire fielding.

The 50 partnership took just 43 balls. Stirling finally swished at and missed one from Choudhry, bowled by a delivery that turned from leg to off, but at 94/2 off 15.2, his cameo of 41 off 33 deliveries had given Middlesex some serious momentum.

Well ahead on Duckworth Lewis, all Middlesex now had to do was play sensibly, and that's exactly what they did. A.C.'s 50 provoked the singing by the MTWD contingent of a song devoted to him that Kimmy thought up while in the shower. Due to its origins, the song can be accompanied by the kind of hand actions associated with showering. Making appropriate allowances for the presence of respectfully proportioned lady-bumps of course!

Cover drive inspired by singing

A.C. Finally fell for 75, caught at point by Pinner off Cameron, and although Dex (4) followed shortly afterwards caught behind off Shantry, it was all-but-over bar the singing and chanting. Given the fact that Barmy Kev was on the white wine, there was quite a bit of that, though!

Chris Rogers had time to reach his 50, and did so. I made the mistake of mentioning that I wasn't that impressed with the Chris Rogers chant that went up from the MTWD contingent, and have now been assigned the task of composing something better. Trust me to open my big mouth!

Bucko square cut.  Just need a song 

The Iceman hit the winning runs shortly afterwards with a drive to the cover boundary to take Middlesex home by 6 wickets with 4.2 overs to spare, rounding off an excellent performance. It was a magnificent team effort, with the foundations being laid by some really tight and disciplined bowling. Of the Middlesex bowlers, only The Iceman conceded any wides or no-balls at all, and only 8 extras were conceded in the entire Worcestershire innings. By contrast all Worcestershire's bowlers who bowled more than 2 overs bowled wides!

It was a performance to warm the cockles of the heart, and should help inspire me with the motivation to get that gardening done in the morning.