Middlesex CCC
Perfect Cure For A Hangover
Super Bat
By Lower Pav
June 1 2012
Lower Pavilion reports from the Lower Pavilion on day with a sore head but a healthy attitude. This a day of plenty of spillages, not be him this time but Sussex fielders.
I must start by saying I was rather surprised at some of the downbeat comments on the thread for this game re todays play. As you will read I saw it somewhat differently.
I woke this morning in reasonable spirits but with a big headache. That was probably due to my wine glass being repeatedly topped up at last nights splendid Sponsors Party or indeed me still having a hangover from The Miracle Of Munich.
I set off for Lords in good spirits and unusually for me arrived at The Grace Gates in good time without losing anything or having any mishaps.
I took my seat in The Lower Tier Of The Pavilion in the front row just by the gates. Play started on time with us on 229 for 3 and Rogers on 93. There was 12 overs before the new ball was due. Wright opened the bowling from The Nursery End and Panesar then bowled from The Pavilion End..
Rogers was on 98 and then disaster. Wright bowled the ball it appeared to swing away to leg and hit Rogers on the pads who also seemed to be quite far forward and the Umpire gave him out LBW. For me it did not look a good decision. My headache worsened and I took a couple of Asprin.
However from then on things got better and better for us. We were 249 for 4 and Simpson came into bat. The new ball was taken after 81 0vers. Then a bit of luck. Simpson was dropped by Yardy in the slips off the bowling of Anyon. Then on 283 for 4 Simpson looked in danger of being given out LBW off the bowling of Anyon. This time the same umpire did not raise his finger. Then a lovely stroke for 4 by Simpson and we are 287 for 4 and in the lead.
Almost immediately Morgan was out for 71 caught by Brown off Magoffin, it did seem to be a very thin edge. At this point we were 287 for 5 and the game could have perhaps gone either way. Berg came out to bat and soon after announced his arrival with a lovely hook for 4. We are now 301 for 5 and a 3rd batting point in the bag.
Simpson was now playing well including a lovely square cut for 4. Lunch we were 319 for 5.
Lunch passed without incident and as my friends pointed our that rather surprisingly I managed to eat my sandwiches and have a drink without dropping anything or soaking anyone.
2nd over after Lunch Panesar came onto bowl and it seemed Sussex had given up on the new ball. The light was not great.
3rd over after lunch Simpson was bowled by Arif for 34. I must say at this point in my scorecard the man is called Naveed Arif but on the scoreboard he is called Gondal, all very confusing.
Rayner comes in to bat and we are 324 for 6 and my headache of earlier has gone. Will we get our 4th batting point in the required 110 overs the answer is yes with 8 balls to spare. Happy days.
Berg and Rayner were now batting well and the 50 partnership duly arrived. Then out of the blue Berg was out for 47 stumped by Brown off the bowling of Nash. We are 376 for 7.
Muirtagh comes in to bat. We go 100 ahead with a lovely off drive by Rayner for 4. Then really things begin to lift off. Murtagh hit a lovely off drive for 4 off the bowling of Nash and a big hook for 6, same batsman and same bowler. Murtagh was then dropped at slip by I believe Yardy. Murtagh was then out for 13 caught behind off the bowling of Anyon.
Roland Jones comes in to bat and we are 400 for 8. Panesar then manages to bowl a No Ball, how on earth is that possible. Tea arrives and we are 420 for 8.
After tea the fun really starts. Rayner hits a lovely on drive for 4 and then a lovely square cut for 4. and then another lovely shot for 4. If another county has a better no 8 please stand up as I have missed something. Roland Jones is also enjoying himself and what a number 10 he is. A great off drive by Toby makes us 449 for 8 and the 50 parnership. Another lovely shot for 4 by Toby and we are 458 for 8. Yardy then comes onto bowl and all hell lets loose. Rayner pulls him for a mighty 6. Another dropped catch this time by Magoffin and this is all rather fun..Then Rayner out caught in the deep by Wright off the bowling of Nash. Finn comes in to bat. There then follows in my opinion a dreadful over by Yardy. Roland Jones smashes him for 4 and then another 4 followed by a big 6 into the Allen Stand. Yardy bowled 2 overs for 25 runs. Finally Roland Jones is out for 52 going for another big hit. We end up 491 all out and 208 ahead.
There were 21overs left in the day. Naturally we had an attacking field and as a result they scored reasonably quickly. Could things get any better, yes they could. Joyce out for 8 caught by Berg in the gully off the bowling of Finn. It was a truly stunning catch. The players came off for bad light with Sussex on 34 for1.
It was a great day for our boys. I believe if we bowl with discipline and take our catches we can win this game tomorrow. It will not be easy taking 9 wickets on a rather slow flat sort of wicket but I believe we can and will do it. I shall be there tomorrow to cheer our boys on.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:06:03:10:08:22 by The Diamond ruled ok.
Thanks for doing this!!
It's information with a personal touch mixed with some funny bits!!! So you didn't have a spillage at lunch then?? Think Mr Kimmy might have been upset if you had!!
Kimmy
Always look on the bright side of life... de dum de dum de dum de dum dum
Strange to think that Yardy was a regular in England's one day side not so long ago primarily for his bowling. Even then, I think I recall him going through a whole season without bowling a single over in the Championship for Sussex. You could see why today - a dreadful day, capped by two dropped catches.
I too find it strange that Mike Yardy usually played as a specialist bowler and batted down the order when playing limited-overs matches for England, yet rarely bowls when playing first-class matches for Sussex. When he bowled two overs today, I thought it was a rare event, although the list of occasions he has bowled in first-class matches shows that after not bowling between September 2009 and August 2011, he bowled in one match towards the end of last season and has bowled in three matches including this one in 2012.
It evens itself out in the end...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:06:02:07:28:52 by beecool.
