One of many good balls

By London Leprechaun
June 8 2015

London Leprechaun reports on another day of twists and turns for Middlesex. Travel news, lunch menus and coffee spills feature along with a rant about how not to get last wickets. And in between we find a match intruguingly poised. Make alternative plans for Wednesday.   

After our reporter's trauma yesterday I have to report a very easy, smooth and early arrival to Leeds courtesy of Mr Branson's East Coast trains. The only problem is finding the right bus stop in the oddly but somehow appropriately named Infirmary Street. The upside is that the first two wickets of the day fall while I am negotiating the bus stops. At the ground the first job is to check the over rate. Only minus 1. Meanwhile Bairstow looks fluent while wickets still look likely. There is more early drama as Simmo takes good catch. There is a spontaneous celebration by Middlesex but Rhodes and umpire are unmoved. But shortly after Murts makes up for it courtesy of another diving catch from Simmo. Murts is bowling beautifully; good to have him back. 

The 1st innings lead is going to be vital here as Bresnan comes in with an important hour coming up. But obviously lunch is equally important here as the lunch menu is shown on the scoreboard. Chicken in tomato sauce, sausage, salmon and rhubarb crumble. Crumble sounds nice but I'll stick to my own food. 

Bairstow gets to  a decent fifty showing it is possible to bat on this wicket although even Dexter is getting balls to lift and then beat the bat. As commentators wonder about bowling Rayner he takes a smart slip catch to get Bresnan who could have been dangerous. Middlesex physio comes on but doesn't treat anyone. Just wanders across the pitch and perches at the boundary chatting to Murts. People start leaving the stand tempted perhaps by the lunch menu. Over rate has disappeared from scoreboard, replaced by the Yorkshire deficit. Apparently over rates are only shown when it is in the red so hopefully Don can relax at lunch. Patterson looks all at sea against both bowlers resorting to just swinging wildly. But they survive to lunch which is spent trying to find the right pavilion to meet other Middlesex members. Not quite like Somerset but three pavilions is enough to cause confusion.

 TRJ obviously like intervals though; his first over after lunch castles Pattinson. Brook comes in to less then confident support from Yorkshire supporters. Best comment when facing Murts was

 Question "Did he take his bat away from that ball?"

Answer "Someone should take his bat  away from him."

The shout of no when he could have got a single of the last  ball of the over was probably heard in the plane going overhead. Bairstow clearly had no faith in him hitting TRJ for 4.6 and 1 to get the deficit down and him on strike. The next over we get a run out chance, and a skier to nowhere. We soon get ng sucked  info the game of keeping Bairstow off strike and we are in  danger of leaking runs. It doesn't matter who we get out. Either of them will do. And as Brooks manages to stay in our cricket is getting brainless and annoying. This is a wicket that you get people out by bowling a full length that takes the edge to wicket keeper and slips. Bairstow is being bowled to with no  slips and we are close to losing the lead. And the over rate slips. Play normally!

I go for a frustrated wicket walk but all I achieve is to spill my coffee and hear that Bairstow got his 100 with a shot through first slip. DT on the radio is ranting everything I am feeling right now. While I'm spilling more coffee -I blame the lid - Rayner bowls an over which goes 6 going under the covers and needing the groundsman to find it. Six almost caught by Harris and then Brooks  finally caught behind. Annoyingly and through poor tactics Yorkshire have a lead, thought to be fair Bairstow  played a really good innings, taking advantage of our losing the plot to hit 4 sixes that gave Yorkshire momentum and the lead.

The sun comes out as we start batting. Burns has a slightly fiery start playing and missing to Breen and Brooks but manages two blocked chips in the third  man area before having to change his bat. But after that  there are few alarms as we get to tea no wickets down and back in the lead. We start ok after tea and get to a 50 partnership before a stunning catch from Lytham get Burns as he started to look settled. This was followed by an unplayable ball to trap Compo. Hat trick ball is a no ball. Does that make it still a  potential hat trick? Fortunately an academic question. But as things start to settle a runner comes on for Malan and Robson is then promptly plumb to Patterson. Oh for the 40 runs we squandered after the 9th Yorkshire wicket. Dexter out soon after as the wicket is beginning to get difficult. Skipper's innings needed here. And so far we have it. Both Franklin and Malan played some fluent shots, interspersed with some solid defence and even the running has worked well. Though this is the kind of wicket that can produce a unplayable ball any time and there are signs of dust as well now. Only four wickets down at the close keeps the match well poised. And I don't think I will need to worry about the match finishing in time for me to get the 18.15 train on Wednesday!