Middlesex CCC
Ton for Simmo. S*d All for Siddle
Simmo! Simmo!
By Dingy Bags
April 16 2014
Dingy Bags reports on a day where 10 man Middlesex are on top , but still not out of sight despite a confident prediction of an early win. Today's Play is summed up nicely. Read on
Middlesex, despite playing a man short, are in by far the better position tonight, needing five more wickets as quickly as possible tomorrow to keep their victory target to reasonable proportions.
Fletcher opened at the Pavilion End and Siddle at the bottom, the latter’s first over going for nine runs as both batsmen drove elegantly through extra cover. Beefy, the Power, Lower Pav and myself perched on the top of the Pavilion to watch, with Hove already a distant memory. Thirty-five runs were added, although Robbo was playing a few loose shots and it was no real surprise that the bowling change of Carter for Fletcher brought an edge to the only slip and Sam departed for an excellent 163 (from 310 deliveries).
The appearance of Ollie at seven gave us the first hint that all might not be well with Bergie. The German dug in, taking ages to get off the mark. As the bonus point cut off of 110 overs loomed, we slowed our scoring rate and even looked in danger of failing to bring up the 350. There was another aspect to this: Notts needed a sixth wicket for their second bowling point. Happily, the score at the crucial point was 355-5, right on both counts.
In the last over before lunch, still with no certain news about the Iceman, we were looking at a massive lead but then, with three balls left, Mullaney who, to be fair, had caused more problems than anyone, bowled Ollie middle stump playing a defensive shot. Lunch 384-6 (118.4 overs), Simmo 75.
Soon after lunch, Harris, also playing a forward defensive, managed to miss one from Patel and it was 387-7 with Murtagh walking out to join Simmo and the complexion of things altered. The Lambeth Lara took a similarly aggressive attitude to the one he adopted at ‘Ove: he hit out. While he was clubbing Patel for a couple of fours, this looked ok but when he hit Mullaney up in the air, leaving Simmo on 83, it did not look so clever. Fortunately, the Watford Wall arrived to give the keeper eminently sensible support and see him to his hundred. With this gained, Simmo hit out, lofting a beautiful straight six that landed just below us. Finn tried to copy him which brought Simmo down the wicket to have a word. Finn clearly listened, playing an immaculate forward defensive to the next ball. Unfortunately, in doing so he played down the wrong line and was lbw. So, a lead of 113, distinctly useful but not what it might have looked like at one point just before lunch..
The loss of Berg, which had cost us potentially a bigger lead, was also likely to be felt in the bowling on a flat wicket which had seen quite a few of our edges fall short of the slips. Higgins turned out as twelfth man, noted by Don on the scoreboard, not be Perambulator who couldn’t even get the ends of the ground right. Lower Pav, the resident soothsayer, stated at this point that we could not lose from here and was confident of a win, possibly even this evening.
Mullaney, having bored the pants off us on Sunday (trialling for Warwickshire?), raced to 11 in no time and, no doubt drunk with excitement, was then lbw to Murts. 12-1 in the third over. The score mounted quickly, at times at over 4 an over, and then Lumb, apparently trying to get out in a similar way to the first innings pulled Finn straight up in the air. This time, two or the players moved for it, stopped and left it to Morgan who seemed to have sprinted further than about half the side to get under it. But he managed to, only to drop the ball and leave it to dribble across the middle of the wicket. Finn, showing immense strength of character, got Jaques lbw next over. 44-2. However, this became 78-2 at tea from 19 overs, our frequent tormentor Taylor batting well.
The temperature had dropped to unbearable levels and tea had to be taken indoors. Soon afterwards, Murts got Lumb lbw for 37, the drop not proving too costly, 84-3. At this point an attempt was made to enter the Members’ Bar, to watch the rest of the game in warmer surroundings. However, we were greeted by the stunning news that this bar was closed for a bridge evening. Silly us, we thought Lords was a cricket ground. Disappointment was lessened as Patel was soon lbw to Finn, 105-4 and we watched through gritted teeth as Taylor soon followed for 33, the fifth lbw out of five wickets, to Finn at 120.
Another wicket then would really have seen us closing in on victory but despite close alarms (really hard chances, Sam in the gulley off Harris, a Finn c&b and Sam again at short leg off Finn), Notts closed at 184-5. The last ten overs were viewed from the warmth of the Long Room.
An early wicket or two in the morning and we will be close. This is an excellent effort without our fourth seamer who bowled well with no luck on Sunday and was due an edge or two. The other three bowled their socks off, especially Finn who looks in good shape to me for an unselectable bowler and whom a few of the opposition clearly do not completely fancy facing.
This match has provided plenty of excellent cricket on both sides, a fine advert for the county game. Division 1 cricket really is first-class.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:04:20:09:16:34 by The Diamond ruled ok.
An excellent and accurate report from you as always.
I will be attending as usual today. I remain reasonably confident that we will record our first win of the season sometime after tea.
Fingers crossed for a few early wickets(yep,im greedy today for wickets)as we push for victory.
Early win,and then off for a game of bridge.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:04:16:10:41:43 by BeefyRoberts.
Spot on.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:04:17:10:55:39 by Seaxe_Man.
