We've been here before

By Leprechaun
June 24 2015

Leprechaun writes about one of the least memorable days of our season when the main interest lay in rescuing the match and the over rate.. But we do get some sidelines regarding ice lollies, stop watches and secret gardens. 

My decision to go today was made when we were only three wickets down at close yesterday and there was a faint (yes I know very faint) chance of a fourth day spectacular. And there was always the over rate issue to add some drama to the day. But my cause was not helped when I chose the longest way to travel to Uxbridge and Paul Stirling was out somewhere around Earls Court.  From there to Uxbridge (a long way on the Piccadilly Line) we only scored about twenty runs, though from the commentary we did not seem in great trouble.  But spectacular was not the way the day sounded like it was shaping.

And so it proved.  There was a brief flurry of runs after I arrived, with Jo Burns taking a liking to  one over in particular  from Moeen, which meant that nearing lunch, we had scored over a hundred runs which gave us more of a lead at that point then I expected.  Had Jo Burns still  been there maybe we could have thought of setting something out. But close to lunch he fell on the Australian equivalent of Nelson – 87 when he hoicked a ball to Leach who stuck to it.  Four inches higher and/or wider and it was  a 6. He has looked good in this match. And when Simmo  and Ollie Rayner were both out not long after lunch  and with the score barely advanced any chance of a positive declaration went out the window. All that was left was to get to the point where we could declare with Worcester not able to win but with enough time to bowl the overs we needed to rescue the over rate.  That job was achieved with considerable ease and application by Franklin and Harris who is making a grand name for him self saving matches.  And Franklin is certainly justifying his signing with his batting, if not his bowling.

The odd ball popped or kept low but there was nothing to give any idea that we could not survive and certainly nothing to give any hope that Worcester might have a spectacular collapse. So all that was left to do in the afternoon was work out when a declaration might come and discuss what rules there might be about tea times on the last day: If were bowled out; had nine wickets down or declared before the interval was due. That was interspersed with various trips to the ice cream van that does a nice line in banana lollies and the bar – well you probably know what that does a nice line in.  There was also some speculation about where – if anywhere – the Middlesex gardens are at Lords (read the Chris Rogers story)  Well it was a hot and sunny afternoon and the cricket was not exactly scintillating.

Our new opening bowler

The declaration came a bit after tea and out came the overs board – minus 3. Worcester were probably +10 or so.  Out came the Worcester batsmen, on came the Middlesex opening bowlers – Stirlo and Ollie. And with it the sense of urgency that so often seems to lacking when we are bowling in earnest.  And out came the stop watch. Timing was a bit confused by a spectator taking time to get the ball back after it bounced on the boundary, and an unintentional wicket – good catch by Compo in the slips, but we still bowled nine overs in around 20 minutes. The minus on the overrate went down after every three or so overs we bowled, and we were then able to watch Robbo and Comp to bowl the last couple of overs which took us to 5pm. Which begs the question – if it is that easy to get the over rate back why don’t we just bring a slow bowler on for a bit when the over rate slips.  They might even get an unintentional wicket as well. Better still why don’t we make sure we don’t get in this mess again.

Comp0 and Robbo bowling

It was all a bit farcical and not a good advert for 4 day cricket. The wicket, possibly the loss of time on Monday and that overrate all conspired against this match. Hope the new ECB Chairman was not watching. 

Positives:

Joe Burns batting

James Harris batting

James Franklin batting

Negatives:

That over rate

ITV sniffing aroung suporters for Chris Rogers quites

That over rate