Nice place to be

By Big Harvey
July 6 2016

Harvey gives us a grand report on what was a good day for Middlesex. From grand hotels that are not, to grand batting that was, to the aftermath of a grand evening's out.  And a match nicely set up for a dramatic last day. 

The Grand Hotel in Scarborough, where I ended up after the hotel where I had a confirmed reservation through Expedia turned out to have closed permanently months ago, is far from grand in the English sense. It is grand only in the French sense. Grand as in big!

After a painfully mediocre breakfast, which like the décor reminded me very much of the 1970s, I headed for the ground. Definitely a day for wearing layers, as despite a very fresh breeze from the north, when the sun came out, the temperature seemed to soar about 10 degrees in an instant.

Middlesex resumed on 130/2 in reply to Yorkshire’s 408, which was far from being a bad position, but one where much hard work and application was still required. For the previous two days the pitch had shown some signs of life early on.

Eskinazi and Bailey were both on 19, and took a while to add to their scores. Eski finally got the scorecard moving with a nudged single, while Bailey notched up the morning’s first boundary, top edging a wide one from Bresnan which would have made for an easy catch by third man had there been one.

Despite the odd alarm, the batsmen began to play positively, and the scoreboard was ticking along healthily, at a faster rate than Yorkshire had managed. Eski gave a sharp chance to Ballance at backward point off Rhodes, but the fielder was unable to hang on. Bailey, always looking to attack Rafique came down the pitch to him and hammered him over his head for a big 6.

The latter reached his 50 with a nudged single off Rafique.

It’s said that you should never cut a spinner or pat a burning dog, but Eski managed to cut Rafique to the boundary twice in the same over.

The 100 partnership was generously applauded by what was a sporting crowd. Recent encounters have led to much mutual respect between the two counties.

Eski brought up his 50 with a streaky French cut, and taking the total past 200. The sun came out as if in celebration.

Just when the two batsmen were starting to make it look easy, Bailey (62) fended a short one from Rhodes straight to Bresnan at backward point. From where we sat, it wasn’t clear why he would even have played at it. Maybe it both bounced more than expected and left him off the seam? 215/3.

Rhodes’ tail was now up, and Eski was twice beaten outside off stump in his next over. Rafique was reintroduced to the attack, but the aggressive approach against the spinner continued, Simpson sweeping him to the boundary.

Lunch was taken at 232/3. I headed off in search of fish and chips. Once our national dish, really good fish and chips is almost impossible to find in many parts of the country, but happily not in Scarborough. The pork pies here are also way better than any I’ve bought from a supermarket or deli down south.

Barmy Kev and Rogers and Out headed off to the Hole in the Wall pub to retrieve belongings left there the previous night. It had been very much the kind of night where belongings get left behind in pubs!

Resuming after Lunch, the positive approach continued. Yorkshire took the new ball when it became available. Eski slapped a short one from Bresnan to avoid any chance of a follow on. However the fall of Simpson (15) caught at 1^st slip by Bresnan off Brooks put the brakes on. 256/4.

The new ball appeared to be doing something the old ball hadn’t. Eski was dropped at 3^rd slip by Williamson off Bresnan, while Franklin survived a big appeal for a caught behind. Eski hooked Bresnan to the boundary where two men had been placed for that very shot, but he got on top of it and his placement was perfect. This was to be the last boundary for some time though.

Eski broke the deadlock, steering a widish one from Patterson to the third man boundary, and Franklin smashed a long hop from Rhodes over the square leg boundary for 6.

As with his 50, Eski’s 100 was chalked up with a streaky shot, this time a top edge over 2^nd slip off Patterson. What an impact he has made since coming into the side! There was nothing streaky about the shot that took him past his career best score of 110. It was a lovely off drive to the boundary off Patterson.

Middlesex passed 300 off 101 overs. After Franklin’s cut to the boundary off Rafique brought up the 50 partnership, and Tea was taken at 318/4. Eski on 112, Franklin on 29.

There was still a small possibility of an extra batting point and Middlesex started the final session positively. Eski cut Rafique to the boundary. Franklin hit Bresnan for 6 over long on, and pulled him to the mid wicket boundary for 4. However the earlier slowing of the scoring rate brought by the new ball had made this too big an ask. Middlesex reached the 110 over mark with 5 bonus points to Yorkshire’s 4, which is a useful performance, but too much is riding on bonus points from bore draws this season.

A period of quiet accumulation followed, with Franklin reaching 50, Middlesex passing 350, and Eski bringing up the 100 partnership with a cheeky switch hit. As with all his landmarks, Eski’s 150 was brought up with a streaky shot, this time a heave aimed at long on which took an inside edge and passed the keeper diving to his left.

Franklin was looking dominant now, and he pulled Patterson to the mid wicket boundary to take Middlesex past 400, and a leg glance to the boundary off Brooks overhauled Yorkshire’s 1^st innings score.

Middlesex were eyeing a lunchtime declaration tomorrow with a lead  of 200+, but Yorkshire, especially Brooks, had other ideas. The latter accounted for Eski (157), taken at deep mid wicket by Williamson. 428/5.

Stirling (5) soon followed, edging to Bresnan at 1^st slip. 436/6.

Williamson got in on the act as Rayner (0) top edged a sweep to Lees. 439/7.

Then it was Brooks’ turn again, accounting for Franklin (99) with a nasty delivery that reared up off just short of a length. Franklin let go of the bat but the ball ballooned to Williamson at square leg. A five fer for Brooks, and what an impressive performance on a pitch that like so many this season has offered precious little to the bowlers. 454/8.

TRJ and Tim Murtagh took the score on to 470/8, TRJ on 14, Murts on 7. The lead is 64. It looks like an almost certain bore draw, but as a glutton for punishment I’ll be turning up in the morning regardless, even if the very real temptation is to go fishing instead. If the pitch hadn’t looked exactly the same at Tea today as it did at Lunch on Day 1, I might be more optimistic of the famous victory this fine Middlesex performance has made a possibility, but I just can’t see it happening.