“Jaw, jaw let’s bore them out”

 This is reference to something my friend Pete (Meade) said to me. He commented that the batsmen would get a right ear-bashing with Shah at slip and Nash behind the stumps.

 Minor irritation 1:

 My mobile decide to disconnect itself from the internet yesterday so could not use MB at Lord’s. Can’t get it sorted until Tuesday.

 Minor irritation 2:

 Traffic jams in Holloway and Camden Town made me late in arriving at Lord’s to find someone sitting where I usually sit.

 Another toss lost, can’t blame Ben H this time. It is also the first time (in all competitions) that the wicket is the ‘mound stand’ side of the ground, albeit rather central. I could not find out for certain, but the wicket is so central, that it may be the one that was used last Saturday for the ODI.

 To start with the weather was warmer than the forecast predicted, but by mid-afternoon they were spot on and it turned rather chilly.

 It was very slow going at first with Silverwood and Louw bowling in tandem, so much so that there were only 2 scoring shots in the 1^st 5 overs.

 During over 9 I was joined by Mr Weekes Snr. He kept me amused with his ‘pinch of salt’ stories until Paul misjudged a skier and missed a possible catch (difficult to see from the Allen stand as this was in front of the Compton stand although someone I spoke to later who was sitting in the Mound stand confirmed that it was a missed chance) when he then went walkabout.

Wicket 1:  71/1 in the 29^th over

Shah takes a sharp chance off the bowling of Styris to dismiss Sutcliffe.

Wicket 2: 80/2 33.5overs and lunch

Styris takes a catch at slip to dismiss Loye for 4 off Louw’s bowling

 At this stage there were only 7 extras, 2 nb and 5lb. Honours even!

After lunch Hodge and Chilton upped the ante and pushed the scoring rate up from 1 per over to 3 per over.

Let the entertainment begin:

Mr Weekes senior yells from the back of the Allen stand to bowl Sobers and Peploe. Peploe did indeed start bowling from the nursery end a few overs later. This only kept the batsmen quiet for a few overs and they went back to scoring with impunity.

Wicket 3: a deserved wicket for Silverwood 198/3

Another sharp slip chance held by Shah.Chilton gone for 93. And there was I thinking that they’d reach 200 before we got the 3^rd wicket.

Peploe bowled very well for his 1^st 5 overs which went for 7 runs. His next 7 overs went for 38 runs. By his own admission he said that he ‘lost it’ in the later overs. By tea Lance were 231/3 and still only 9 extras, 2nb and 7 lb.

Wicket 4: 279/4

Law caught by Ali on boundary off Styris’ bowling for 17. However  dangerman Hodge still there.

At 90over Lance were 296/4 and the new ball was taken. Immediately Umpire J Holder turned down yet another lbw appeal.

Wicket 5: 350/5

Dangerman Hodge bowled by Ali for 161 with 3.2 overs to go and at close Lance were 359/5.

Other points

Under the helmet was Morgan (in the absence of Joyce and Hutton).

Lancs day I think. Let’s see what tomorrow holds

Scott and Nash – the debate goes on and on and on and on and on and on

Because of the Scott/Nash debate I made a mental note to assess how Nash kept. After the second new ball he did not take the ball cleanly from Silverwood and almost dropped it on the helmet. Another complaint (also by many people that I spoke to) was that he should have stood up to Styris’ medium pacers to put pressure on the batsmen. Apart from that his keeping was OK.

For all his supporters – a picture.

However I'm serious about Scott............... We cannot afford to lose
him