County Championship
Of Champions
and Contrived Results
September 24th
2016
So, after
some remarkable events over the last four days, Middlesex have been pronounced
Champions. A match that was dying and that appeared to have been killed the previous
day, suddenly came to life in mid-afternoon of the last day of the season, with
the Trophy seemingly coming off the Taunton exit of the M5 after an inexorable
three and a half day trip from Headquarters.
On one level
there will be some serious soul-searching and a few complaints that it is a
tarnished victory for Middlesex.
That point
of view is absurd.
Middlesex went top of the table on July 6th with a big win against Yorkshire and were never headed [save briefly in
the penultimate round when they were 2 points behind, but had a game in hand].
At that point, after 9 games, the Middlesex lead over Yorkshire was 15 points
(Yorkshire with one game in hand) and over Somerset, more interested in not slipping
into the relegation battle, 25 points.
Victory
against Somerset in the next round of games left Middlesex 38 points ahead of
Yorkshire and 45 ahead of Somerset (look how their nearest challengers on July
13th, after 10 games, were Warwickshire and Lancashire, both of
which entered the last day under real threat of relegation and watching anxiously
the events at Southampton).
Somerset
gave a hint of things to come by winning their next two games against the
free-falling Nottinghamshire (themselves top of the table after 4 rounds – a quarter
of the season) and Durham.
On August 16th, Middlesex
were 26 points clear of Yorkshire, having played a game more and 35 points clear
of Somerset, also with a game in hand.
September 3rd. Games in
hand played out. Three matches left. Middlesex still top, 4 points ahead of
Yorkshire, 21 points ahead of the rapidly rising Somerset.
September 14th. For the
only time since taking over at the top on July 6th, Middlesex were
headed when Somerset beat Yorkshire and, Middlesex, with a game in hand,
momentarily found themselves a full 2 points behind Yorkshire and 1 point
behind Somerset.
At this
point, bearing disaster in their last two games, Middlesex were virtual
Champions, given that even two, high-scoring draws would be likely to win the
title. Victory at Old Trafford would all-but-seal a thoroughly merited title. Middlesex
supporters know though that their side is likely to shred nerves at any moment. How
right they are!
Old Trafford. September 12th. Middlesex bat and are 151-1 in the 50th over. With plenty
of forcing batting to come, 350 looks certain, even 400 in 110 overs requires
little more than 4-an-over from there. A partnership of 97 in 34 overs for the
third wicket made the 5th batting point unlikely, but the 4th,
should have fallen. What happened was a slow crawl as the enormity of the
situation seemed to paralyse the batting: even the 300 and a third batting
point was just, barely reached inside 110 overs with James Franklin and Toby
Roland-Jones just barely scrambling over the line before Middlesex subsided to
a disappointing 327, taking up almost four sessions to do it.
Even then,
the go-slow seemed irrelevant as Lancashire slipped to 6-4. Not too many people
have Toby Roland-Jones on their list of likely England bowlers, but when he is
on song with the new ball he can be very destructive and is extremely
consistent. However, the Middlesex bowling has also shown an alarming tendency
not to follow through on early breakthroughs and to let opponents off the hook.
6-4 became 32-5, 138-6 and 230-7. Even though Lancashire themselves collapsed
from 230-6 to 250ao, another 100 overs had been taken out of the game, only
around 4 sessions remained and Middlesex needed to add to their lead… FAST! The
collapse to 55-4 was the last thing that they needed. 140 ahead on the last morning
and knowing that a quick wicket would open up a real chance of a Lancashire win,
acceleration was out of the question until it was far too late. There was never
a realistic chance of setting a target and the game died.
The two
batting points surrendered by Middlesex radically changed the situation for the
last round. Instead of being 12 points clear of Somerset and able to win the
title with a high-scoring draw, the difference was 10: a draw would offer no
guarantees if Somerset passed over the corpse of the relegated Nottinghamshire,
on what seemed certain to be a sporting Taunton pitch.
Here, things
muddy a little.
Somerset
were to face the already relegated Nottinghamshire who had lost four of their
previous five matches. With the game at Taunton and recent pitches there offering
low-scoring minefields on which Jack Leach and debutant Dominic Bess had caused
chaos (in the Warwickshire game, the innings had lasted 30, 49, 74 & 58
overs respectively, with Bess taking 6-28 in his debut innings), no one doubted
that there would be a result, possibly in well under three days. Middlesex had
to face Yorkshire on the low, slow Lord’s pitch which, all season, had produced
a series of pretty turgid draws.
Photographs
of the Taunton pitch at the Toss showed a surface that suggested that a two-day
finish was as likely as the match stretching into a third day. This though was,
if anything, good news to Yorkshire and Middlesex fans as it appeared unlikely
that Somerset would take any batting points: with a 19-point win, Middlesex
would need just 10 to win the title: score 250, take the bowling points, avoid
defeat and the title would go to Lord’s.
For Yorkshire, matching the Somerset result would be enough.
Just possibly
this feeling that a relaxing draw would be enough on a reliably low and slow
Lord’s pitch, influenced what was to come. Even the fact that this was the same
pitch that had produced an utterly one-sided One Day Cup Final did not dispel the
feeling that there was no need to take the slightest risk when a draw would suit
nicely.
The
combination of a 1030 start, bowling conditions, tight bowling and a pitch that
did not allow quick scoring at any stage plus, undoubtedly, some Middlesex
butterflies, led to an arthritic crawl to 270ao. Add in overs lost to bad light
(desperately slow over rates, leaving Middlesex at -8) and some rain (which
duly arrived later in the match) and Middlesex were leaving themselves painfully
vulnerable rather than seizing the moment. Do not do anything positive. Take the
draw. Middlesex though were getting close to the point where the points
deduction for a slow overrate might even lose them the title.
It was
gripping. It was a titanic battle but, you could almost hear Geoff Boycott
muttering “those dopy so and soes. There’s more brains in a pork pie.”
All the more
so because, despite being able to field two Test bowlers in Imran Tahir and Samit
Patel, Nottinghamshire let Somerset reach 300 and three batting points before
finally waking up. Five wickets fell at 322, Somerset crashed from 302-2 to
322-9 but, in a final indignity to a Nottinghamshire side bereft of any
self-confidence, the last pair were allowed to add 43, bring up the fourth
batting point and ensure that Somerset were likely to take a 23-point win,
totally changing the dynamic of the title race.
Only the
fact that Somerset failed to enforce the follow-on stopped the match from
finishing in two days. Even some heavy rain was never going to send the match
into a fourth day.
With
Somerset 13 points ahead and also ahead on the first tie-breaker (most wins,
6-5), a draw was no use to Middlesex and Yorkshire now needed a 23 point win as
they were behind on the second tie-breaker (most defeats, 1-2), surely there
would be some positive cricket at Lord’s?
Although
both sides would probably deny it, there seemed to be a little bad feeling
between the sides. Yorkshire were very aggrieved that Jonny Bairstow was not
released and then Adil Rashid dropped out of the match (it turns out that
off-field issues left him in no mental state to play). Middlesex, in contrast,
had all their players available, with Tim Murtagh released for the game by
Ireland. With Andrew Strauss calling the shots, one could understand that there
was maybe a little paranoia going into the match. Then Nick Gubbins had edged behind
on 97 and not walked. Had he been given, Middlesex might well have been
dismissed for a little over 200. Other chances were dropped. A few marginal
decisions went the Middlesex way. If you were Andrew Gale and walking a disciplinary
tightrope it must have been really tough to take. It meant though that
Yorkshire were in no mood to do anyone any favours at all.
Yorkshire’s
chances of the title seemed over when Toby Roland-Jones had Lees, Ballance and
Gale all for ducks. With Lyth out for 43 made from 53-4, you felt that Middlesex
could win the natural way and settle the title race. Not a bit of it.
Same as in
the previous game against Lancashire. Tim Bresnan, batting at #5, although with
a career batting average near 30, added 116 with Hodd. Then 35 more with David
Willey and when Nick Compton returned the favours received by dropping a sitter
from Rafiq and the pair dug in, Middlesex must have felt that it was all over.
When
Middlesex’s only chance of keeping the match alive was to allow Yorkshire to
reach 350 quickly and keep them interested in the result, they continued
to apply suffocating fields. Killing the game meant playing everything on an
agreed declaration. Overs 98 to 107 took the best part of an hour out of the
game and produced just 10 singles and 50 dot balls, as the Yorkshire last
wicket partnership edged (literally, at times) to the promised land of 350.
Surely Middlesex would have been better off had he had one of his bowlers offer
a couple of juicy half volleys, or maybe a couple of balls that just happened
to slip down leg (so sorry, ‘keeper!)
Murtagh,
Roland-Jones and Finn produced an eye-watering 405 dot balls between them in
the innings.
When you
start your second innings 120 behind with just four sessions left, you rather
expect a draw. When you then fall to 2-2 and are left to hobble to the Close at
just a fraction over 2-an-over, you start the last day knowing that you will
need the best part of an hour to reach parity, before even thinking of setting
a target. On the final morning Yorkshire had a real chance to take a couple of
quick wickets and set up a simple chase.
A quick
calculation also showed that even if Middlesex scored at 4-an-over – well above
anything achieved in the match so far – any declaration would not come until
after Tea, with a target of around 220 from 25 overs. If you were a Somerset
fan, only a clatter of early wickets seemed likely to disturb your road to a
first ever title.
Lunch.
201-3. Middlesex lead 81.
Half an hour
after Lunch. 210-3. Middlesex lead 90.
Middlesex
would say that they were ensuring against defeat, but this was just ludicrous.
55 overs
left. Lead 95 and the new ball about to arrive.
50 overs
left. Lead 115. 20 from the last 5 overs is an improvement, but there is no
danger of a result this way. And Middlesex are facing a hefty points deduction
for a slow overrate that requires them to get back out and bowl some overs quickly.
239-3 from
85 overs. Middlesex have shown a little more urgency with 22 from the last 4
overs, but the match is still going nowhere fast. However, Andrew Gale either
has a chronic stomach problem or even he has realised that what is happening
makes no sense and is going off to negotiate with James Franklin, returning with
an offer that is rejected and then trying again and again to get an agreement.
Lyth comes
on to bowl: 4 4 4 6 . 4
Then Lees: 4
. . W (Jack Brookes, you idiot! What a stupid moment to take a blinding
catch) 4 1
Lyth again:
4 4 4 4 4 .
Lees, a
better over: 6 1 6 W (bowling a straight one though was a bad mistake) 4 6
74 from 4
overs has helped a lot, if not done much for the dignity of the game.
From here it
is a matter of hitting the agreed two boundaries per over and defending the remaining balls. 46
from the next 5 overs and James Franklin signals the declaration by
deliberately sending the ball straight up into the air for the bowler. How else
does one declare? Maybe by putting on a silly hat and playing the Joker from It’s
a Knockout?
240 from 40
overs looks a very generous target, but that run-rate has only been reached in
the last 10 overs of pie-chucking so, in reality, it looks like an act of
desperation for Yorkshire to accept it. For most of the game even well-set
batsmen have struggled to reach 3-an-over. The only question seems to be
whether or not Yorkshire will shut up shop if they are well short with 7 or
8-down.
It did not
take long for the answer to come. Yorkshire were never close to the run-rate
required. Tim Bresnan was the only batsman to score at the required run-a-ball.
By the time that it came to 153 from 20 overs, the writing was on the wall:
with 10 wickets in hand, fine; when it is only 7, you need everything to go
right and cannot afford an accident. Once Bresnan (to a marginal LBW) and Gale
fell in quick succession it was all over. Yorkshire knew that they could not
win. Somehow it was appropriate that the end was brought with a Toby
Roland-Jones hat-trick as Yorkshire decided to swing on and hand the title to
Middlesex rather than shut up shop and give it to Somerset.
Seven
thousand paid at the gate to watch. Probably a couple of thousand more watched
as members. Who says nobody watches the County Championship?
Of course,
this being Middlesex, there was a sting in the tail in the form of a 4 point
deduction for slow over rate. How many points the Middlesex scorer has saved
his team this season by negotiating away negative over rates no one knows: it
is generally reckoned that if the over rate is -2, he can get it back to zero
and thus save a two point deduction. A conservative estimate is that the scorer
has saved his side some 20 points over the season: the difference between being
Champions and finishing 3rd.
Hollow victory? Middlesex beat Yorkshire twice
and beat Somerset at Taunton. They went through the season unbeaten and four of
their eight wins were achieved away from home, while dead pitches at Lord’s
made winning there almost impossible. Despite a slow start – their first win
did not come until their seventh game and then to relegated Hampshire – with Middlesex
starting that game only just above the bottom two, three wins from four matches
in mid-season saw them rocket up the table from seventh to top and put down a
marker. The chasing pack – Warwickshire, Lancashire and Durham – all faded,
Middlesex did not. No other team could sustain a challenge. Somerset left
themselves too much to do. Yorkshire, though affected by Test calls, never gave
the impression of invincibility that they had in the previous two seasons. No,
Middlesex were worthy winners. No other side could have claimed as much.
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