By Rogers and Not Out
May 5 2013

Rogers and Not Out reports on his 2nd successive Saturday MTWD LVCC reporting where Rogers comes into bat very early on and is not out at the end of play. More importantly hear about a game that started as slipping away from us and suddenly opens up where all results are possible.  

A magnificent, record breaking  second innings opening stand of 259 by  Chris Rogers and Sam Robson hauled Middlesex back into contention against our "friends" from South of the River by the end of day  three.

A miserable journey via Notting Hill Gate, Edgware  Road and Baker Street delivered me to Lord’s just in time for start of play  under gloomy skies which hinted at the prospect of  rain.

Resuming on 161/9, Corey Collymore survived a loud,  first ball of the day appeal for leg before off the bowling of Tim Linley from  the Pavilion end. However, we soon succumbed to 166 all out when De Bruyn gained  an LBW decision against Collymore who had made just a  single.

Graeme Smith quickly decided to make us follow on and  Rogers and Robson came out in overcast conditions to try to help us save the  match. We had reached 29 without loss, when, just after noon, the rain came and  prevented play until around 1.25, with an early lunch eventually being  taken.

On resumption,   both batsmen looked in good nick, with Robson in particular dispatching  any errant delivery to the boundary. Whilst Smith again rotated his bowlers  well, chances were at a premium, with Wilson putting down a difficult chance at  second slip from Rogers off the bowling of Dernbach and Robson surviving a run  out appeal when a sharp single was taken.

Dernbach, with his variation, was the pick of the  Surrey bowlers whereas Linley definitely had an off day and we were able to  accumulate runs from his bowling. We reached one hundred with a somewhat  fortuitous edge by Buck over the slips off Dernbach in the 29th over, but that  was a rare false shot in a commanding performance by our Antipodean  openers.

Tremlett, whilst he bowled quite well within himself,  appeared to be not quite 100% fit, with one particular piece of fielding when he  failed to a save a boundary that I’m sure he would normally have prevented with  ease.

Our openers continued batting with style and  concentration, at a rate of around three and a half runs per over. Surrey  conceded their first extras of the entire match in the 44th over with four byes  from the bowling of De Bruyn.

Tea was taken at 161/0 and the captain was first to  three figures after the break when he drove Linley through the covers for three.  Robbo followed soon after when he flicked Batty to leg for a quickly run single.  Both centuries were made from 185 balls. When the score reached 234, the two  Australians created a new Middlesex first wicket partnership record against  Surrey, the previous best being back in 1907 by Pelham Warner and Johnny Douglas  at the Oval.

However, with the score on 259, Robson was surprised  by a short De Bruyn delivery and he gloved a catch to ‘keeper Davies for an  excellent 129. Joe Denly then came in and looked comfortable before he edged a  Dernbach delivery to Solanki for 12 with the score on  279.

The Watford Wall then entered the fray as  night-watchman and steered (or was it edged) his first two deliveries through  the slip cordon for a combined total of three runs. The last ball of the day saw  Finny edge the unfortunate Viscount to first slip, where the South African  captain put down a tough chance.

We closed on 283/2, with a lead of 111 (Rogers  unbeaten on 131). An excellent day of cricket from a Middlesex perspective, with  outstanding displays from Rogers and Robson. Dernbach was the best of the Surrey  bowlers, and it is set up for a very interesting final day, with all results  still possible and fine weather predicted.