County Cap Today

By Dingy Bags
June 28 2015

Dingy Bags reports on a good day for the Middle. Usual minor irritations of the PA weather, over rates pale into insignificance as we appear in total control on day 1. 

Middlesex enjoyed by far their best day for a while at Lord’s against a feeble-looking Hampshire. It was a bit of a surprise, with the sun out, to hear that we had chosen to bowl. This was at 10.40: the pa had been silent up to that point. Climbing to the top of the Warner, however, you could see more than a hint of green in the track and it soon clouded over, so the decision made a bit more sense.

It made even more sense four balls in when Murts had Adams nicking off to Simmo. Those of you who went to Southampton and saw the openers playing and missing regularly, as I did, will appreciate the irony of how things can pan out differently on different days. The pitch and the overhead conditions continued to be helpful and Terry led a charmed life, once hooking Toby over Simmo’s head for four.  But Toby got his revenge when Terry also nicked to Simmo, 28-2. But, just before noon, the clouds thickened enough to bring some rain and off we went, 30-2 from 14. There was a bit of farcical, take off the covers, bring the players back out, no wait a minute it’s starting again, bring the cover back on, until it really came down and we went for an early lunch.

Beefy, Diamond and I met up with Phil the Power at lunch, all of us in pretty happy mood. The rain got heavier and it even looked at one point as if we could be seeing very little more cricket. (The forecast I had seen had said no rain in the London area. The forecasters are about as good at the weather as Middlesex are at T20.)

But it did clear, Phil went back to the Kremlin and we headed back to the Upper Warner. Very soon, our frequent tormentor Carberry decided to pad up to Toby. Bad idea, 41-3. And we kept bowling pretty full and straight and the wickets kept coming, never in a rush (one never did bring two) but ar regular intervals. Our three main seamers all looked dangerous, and Krank and Ollie bowled eight overs from the pavilion end for 15 runs only.

Vince played a few flashy shots without ever suggesting stickability and was bowled all over the place by Harry (56-4). Wheater decided no shot was necessary to Murts and was also bowled (83-5). Toby returned to replace the admirably tight Frank and got Smith lbw at once (97-6) and we had the chance to clap Berg out to the wicket. Even better, soon after tea we couild clap him off, well caught by Compo off the impressive Toby (129-7). This was a relief because Ollie had dropped him just before tea, a reasonable chance at second slip.

Mention should be made of Joe Gatting, the only visiting batsman to look comfortable and who reeled off some impressive shots, not least the six off Harry with which he went to his fifty. But no one stayed very long with him, Harry getting the last three wickets fairly quickly: Briggs was the third ct behind; Wheal was yorked and Bird managed to survive an lbw appeal but be given out caught by Ollie running back from slip off of the same delivery!

This left us an awkward-looking 13 overs to face. What was interesting at the end of the Hants innings was the sight of Stirlo jogging off. He did indeed open the innings and was soon into his stride, although a hack over the slips from Wheal was not in the Boycott book of opening techneeek. Wheal has a curious, old-fashioned, sideways on run up to the crease but he certainly gets it through. After a couple of play and misses, both the ipeners played well, Stirlo playing his natural game and racing along with some well-struck boundaries, until the more sedate Robbo began to catch him up by the close. 59 is a useful hole in the total of 176.

You would expect the track to be a little easier from now on so we have the chance to build a good lead, get some bonus points and win the game. But there is work to do yet.

Good things: -

Getting ten wickets in little more than 60 overs

Knocking 50+ off the deficit by the end

Stirlo looking comfortable as an opener

Bad things: -

Rubbish weather forecast

Lack of announcements until 10.40

Over rate, -2 (inevitably and unless Don can negotiate