Middlesex no. 1

By Seaxe Man
January 26 2016

Following on from Seaxe Man's previous winter warmer articles on Middlesex Ashes winning captains (Brearley and Gatting) , we hear as part 1 the plotted history of Andrew Strauss Middlesex career. There is detail about his slow strart,  then his rise to supremacy with various openers and a great farewell. 

CV

Andrew John Strauss b Johannesburg South Africa 2nd March 1977. 5'11" LHB opening bat, LM, 1st class debut 1998, Cap 2001, Capt 2002 (part) to 2004 (part). Also played for Northern Districts NZ, Somerset and Oxfordshire.

He was a fluent opening batsman, a back foot player, who favoured the cut and pull. An excellent fielder in the slip cordon and gully area.

He enjoyed a number of nicknames, amongst which were, Straussey, Johann, The Captain and Lord Brockett.

1. Early Days.

Andrew Strauss spent the first 6 years of his life in South Africa, before his family moved to England. There was a further short spell in Australia, before returning to England and settling in the Ealing area.

Strauss attended an independent school in Buckinghamshire before attending Radley College and the Durham University.

Whilst at Durham, Straussey spent a couple of winters in the Sydney and Adelaide area's playing in Grade Cricket. It was during this period that he met his future wife Ruth.

With his family living in the Ealing area, Middlesex became aware of his cricketing potential and he started with the 2nd XI in 1996.

As with all of their young cricketers, MIddlesex loan them out to Middlesex League Clubs to gain experience in club cricket and Uxbridge was his allotted club.

2. The Middlesex Years 1996 to 2012.

1996.Strauss started with the 2nd's playing in 4 matches.

1997. In this year he joined the MIddlesex Staff, he also appeared for British Universities. in the Benson and Hedges Cup. He made his his AXA League debut against Kent on July 27th at Lords, making 3, and on August the 10th versus Hampshire, he made 4, batting at 8 on both occasions.

1998. Straussey made his 1st Team debut this season, playing in three 1st XI matches, scoring 146 runs with a top score of 83 in his debut match aged 21 versus Hampshire at Southampton Northlands Road, this time batting at 3.In the next match versus Gloucestershire at Lord's, he opened but reverted to batting at 3 in the final match at Derby. So a steady start. His opening partner in the Gloucestershire match, was Richard Kettleborough, now an ICC Umpire. 1998 was not a good year for The Middle, finishing next to bottom. 

1999. Was a year of steady progress for Strauss playing in 8 matches, batting between 1 and 4. He made 471 runs @ 33.44 with atop score of 98. Another poor year for Middlesex, finishing one place higher in 16th place..

2000. A break through season, playing in all 16 County matches as opener. 862 runs @ 33.15 , a century, not out, in the first match against Northants his maiden 1st class century.. His partners were variously, Ramprakash, Hutton, Roseberry, Weston and Nash.

2001. Further progress, becoming established, again opening in all of the 16 County Championship matches, totalling 1208 runs @ 48.32, 3 centuries, 6 fifties. Top score 176. .Partners were in order, Roseberry, Hutton, Weston, Brown and Martin Weston again. The excellent New Zealand Captain, Stephen Fleming, the overseas player, took over the Captaincy from Fraser in the 5th match versus Notts. Fleming's only season with The Middle. Paul Weekes captained in the final match at Worcestershire. Middlesex finished 5th in the now split divisions, ours being the Division 2. with 4 wins, requiring at least one more, to make 3rd, a promotion spot then.

2002. This was promotion year, finishing second with 7 wins and 211.75 points. Straussey just missed out on a thousand runs, 985 @ 44.77, 3 centuries and five 50's. He played in 14 matches, this time partnered by the excellent Sven Koenig, who himself scored 1110 runs @ 42,69, 3 tons and 7 50's, which leads to the old adage, that a solid opening partnership breeds success. Sven made a 100 in his first match at Durham, no mean feat in a 10 wicket win. Fraser retired after match 2, and was replaced in the side by Aaron Laraman. Straussey took over the captaincy. This was to stand him in good stead in his later career. Strauss missed the last two matches being replaced by Hutton and Weston. The Essex game was lost, but Derby was a win. Shah captained v Essex and Koenig @ Derby.

2003. Another successful year for A.J.Strauss. He topped the Middlesex averages. Played in all 16 matches. Runs 1410 @ 51.88, with 4 hundreds. For the Club, 1st Division status was just retained. Sven Koenig remained an opening partner, 7 50's and just short of 1000 runs but no centuries.

2004. A watershed year for Straussey. He played in only one match (95 and 19*). England had called. He was seen little by Middlesex in the years up to his retirement from all cricket in 2012. (details below). Sven now on his own so to speak, stayed and got a decent return of 971 runs @ 35.96 with 2 centuries. Shah was captain until June, Joyce until August and then Ben Hutton. A 4th spot finish was good in the circumstances.

2005 to 2012. Strauss during this period played a further 40 Championship matches scoring 5 centuries and 10 fifties. One highlight was the 241* which he scored in the promotion year of 2011 at Lord's versus Leicestershire. This was his only double century during his career. I was privileged to see that.

His final home Championship game in 2012, which replicated his distinguished predecessor Mike Brearley 30 years before, was at Uxbridge versus Notts in the rain sodden summer of that year. Here, we lost the toss and were put in. In an all out first innings score of 98, Strauss scored 50 in the innings. On a damp track tantamount to his skill. This knock was eventually ended by Andre Adams with a ball which pitched leg and hit the top of off, pretty well unplayable. In the second innings, his final championship innings, he score 127 not out. Again I was privileged to see Lord Brockett's final two innings for The Middle. When asked at the Players Awards Dinner at season's end, as to why he had not continued. ' Straussey replied with his usual candour ' that he had run his race and did not do laps of honour',

Part Two to follow dealing with his Test Years.