By Barmy Kev
August 18 2012

Barmy Kev describes the tense conclusion from Battle of Alamo

To say I was nervous before start is a massive understatement. 208 runs needed to win.  9 wickets left on a presumably wearing pitch against two class spinners. It really didn't look good and this is a must win season defining game.

They start with TSO and from 1st ball the wicket seems to be turning. We need a good start. Ouch, 6th ball of day Robbo caught behind. Batty on at other end and Smudge out caught round the corner. 0-2 so far from day and I started looking at football fixtures for afternoon entertainment. Too late for Lower Pav to go tothe test match. We cheer the 1st nudged run after 4 overs and we are slowly moving on. Playing and missing followed this, as ball seemed to fizz off pitch. it was not easy out there.  The first decent shot to boundary we work our equation is a not impossible 185-7 needed. LP shouts OLA! LP also mentions he asked for Nachos at the Pavillion bar thinking it was local delicacy. They don't sell them and he ordered a pasty instead and bar staff didn't see funny side. There was amusing incident of bloke standing in fromt of us trying to find a seat.

As this going on Denly out plum LBW 88-4 just when we are showing control. Dext out soon after caught at short leg midwicket 92-5. We are now relying on our novices. Balbirnie looked uncomfortable and was out off his 1st attacking shot out sweeping misjudging pace of ball. We felt if AC could stay to lunch we still had chance. This was with 40 mins to go. He was caught spectacularly one handed at slip, this a real body blow and thought game over and mass inquests about whether it was a batting, bowling that let us down and why Berg was not playing. At this stage, just after 12:30 we were thinking of imminent defeat with extra half hour over lunch being enforced. Crook came in and was on the front foot attack from the start very effectively pushing twos from ones, something we hadn't seen so far. Rossington was content to defend delaying the inevitable perhaps? We survived to lunch just over 80 away, you never know. The other matter to note the whole session was Batty/Kartik bowling with us under massive pressure.

I took position 2nd tier of pavilion for restart. An excellent view. Noticeably Rossington came out of his shell. Batty seemed to be tiring and we started to get on top of his bowling. First change for fast bowling was Dernbach coming on and immediately looking ineffective as we managed two boundaries in an over. We started to believe. Coops and me joined LP, Diamond, Phil the Power in Lower Bedsor for shade. We were getting vocal, as we were 57 away with 3 wickets left. I said this match is virtually even unless we lose a wicket, you guessed lo and behold that very same moment Crook was clean bowled yorked that slower delivery from Dernbach for a battling 67. I was told to shut up. Rossington was caught at slip next over; I sent my apologies as a very unlikely 57 was needed from last wicket. We were despondent and Coops unfairly told us off for being negative. But hang on.

The next stage was surreal. We were nurdling singles, some twos in-between, refusing to slog anything in between some exaggerated intimidating desperate appeals just waiting for that finger to go up, never happened. The target was being counted down, followed by a shhh... A Kartik no ball when in teens, we are nearly there. It was only when in single fingers away I really felt we could really do it. The tension mounted and ignored Coops telling me QPR were 1-0 down at a crucial stage. 8 away another ball another appeal for LBW to TRJ seemed to be turned down, then from nowhere umpire's finger went up. In our area of Middlesex fans heads in hands. I confess I had a tear in my eye, gutted! A Sorry fan, shouted in our direction "you are second best". There was a reaction back from one of us, it could have got nasty. I walked away wandered round the ground and a Surrey fan came up and shook my hand and said well-played hard luck. I hung around behind scenes mainly because I wanted to commiserate players and give Bucko's player of month trophy to someone. While waiting checked footie scores. My teams QPR losing 0-5 and Barnet 3-0. Players didn't appear I was waiting in wrong place. i went to nearby pub The Beehive and met the notorious Croaker with his entourage (they are the Sorry Vermin corner equivalent) had pleasant chat about watching cricket and travelling etc. and they put matters into perspective when saying it's 1-1 in two very tight ones.

 All I can say for now as close off report. All is not lost lets continue to BATTLE!