A is for....................................... Ice Cream!

Only one person could possibly come up with a headline like this.  Yes, it’s Janet’s turn to pass on the day’s news and what a day it has been for Middlesex.  Hippity’s heartfelt but almost desperate-sounding optimism has been proved valid, while Monkey-Face’s gloating seems misguided, for now at least.  Mr Blue Sky is up there waiting and Days 3 and 4 are the days we’ve waited for.

A is for....................................... Ice Cream!

Pete says the location of his ice cream van is now under the trees next
to the stand with a big 'A' on it.

Todays report

The only thing I've unpacked is the camera. This was Silverwood taking
his 4th wicket (the c & b) and I got the 6th wicket (But that photo was
even worse).

[Editor’s note: we’ll take your word for it, Janet – wouldn’t stand up in a court (or even caught) of law.  By all accounts it was a straightforward caught and bowled but a most welcome one so early in the day.  It precipitated a rare tail-end collapse for us in the field]

Good work by Silverwood and Louw saw the last 5 wickets fall for only 18
runs in just under 12 overs. Silverwood ended with figures of 6/51.This
restricted Yorks to 355. It was good to see our players hang on to their
catches for a change.

Our innings got off to a poor start with Ed Smith picking up his 3rd
consecutive duck, being lbw to Gillespie's 5th ball (0/1).

Cue 'ACE':

Ben Hutton and Ace moved the score on to 49 when Dawson was brought on
at the Waterfall Rd end. Ace hit his 1st ball for 4 and nicked his last
ball to the keeper (53/2 in 15 overs).

At lunch we were 63/2 off 19 overs.

Ed Joyce and Ben Hutton played themselves in again and the 1st  4 of the
afternoon did not come until 2.35pm. Like Ace before him Ed J quickly
out scored Ben Hutton, and after 35 overs both were on 34 and the score
was 109/2.Ed J brought up his 50 in the 41st over.  Then came the most
hilarious moment of the afternoon. Ed J hit the ball back down the pitch
to a fielder, but was out of his crease. The fielder hurled the ball to
the wicket keeper which missed him by yards and sped to the boundary for
4 (and therefore 4 more runs for Ed J).

The first 6 of our innings came in the 43rd over which Hutton hit off
Lawson taking him to 46. In my excitement I momentarily attributed the 6
to Ed J as he'd been scoring most of the runs. Ben H got his 1st 50 of
the season in the 47th over taking the score to 152/2 with the 100
partnership coming in the 49th over.

In the 58th over Ben H played his 1st rash shot. He danced up the wicket
to Lehmann 2 overs before tea , missed the ball and was duly stumped. He
had scored 59, and the score was 184/3.

At tea came the announcement that BOTH Ed J and Jamie D were in the
England one-day squad. I asked Emburey would we manage without both of
them and he said 'just'. (I think that's us 1st in line for the 'loan'
of Paul Weekes now).

How not to celebrate your England call up:

62nd over Jamie D tries an extravagant shot to Lehmann and is clean
bowled for 4 (194/4).

Next in was Scott Styris, who helped us to our 1st batting point in the
63rd over.

How to celebrate your England call up:

In the 64th over Ed J brought up his 100.

How not to celebrate your Middlesex 12^th man call-up

The 250 was brought up in style with Styris hitting a 6 off Dawson in
the 72nd over. Styris then had a misunderstanding with our young 12th
man (Adam London aged 17) as Adam brought him a drink when it sounded
like he'd broken his bat.  Soon after Styris miscued and holed out to
mid-on (Gillespie) giving McGrath a wicket (261/5).

Our 3rd batting point came up in the 85th over with a 4 from Compton.
And in the next over Ed J passed 150.

At stumps Compton was 32 n.o and Ed J was 154 n.o and the score 332/5.

A good day for Middlesex,all in all. I would say that Middlesex are
ahead (presuming that our 'tail' does not capitulate like theirs, given
the new ball is available first thing.

Congratulations to:
Ben Hutton for passing 50 for the first time this season
Ed Joyce on his call up and fabulous innings
Jamie Dalrymple on his call up.