Preview:
This helter-skelter season rushes on, with this
match marking the mid-point of qualification. Three days of rest and back in
action after the stunning
victory against Leicestershire. Gloucestershire are developing the happy
knack of taking a tremendous beating for as many as ten or eleven sessions and then
finding ways to escape from knots that would have taxed Harry Houdini. However,
this is a dangerous route to take as, sometime, they will come a cropper, quite
from the fact that valuable first innings points are being left behind, which
could be important if the top of the table is close at the end of the Group
Phase.
Gloucestershire make one important change: Graeme
van Buuren drops out of the squad (and is playing in the 2nd XI game
v Somerset), as he is extremely unlikely to be able to play with both Kraigg
Brathwaite Dan Worrall fit and David Payne, now a father, will definitely be
available to play. Tom Smith, who did the job that he was asked to do with the
ball against Leicestershire, on a pitch that gave spinners no help, holding up
an end and taking a wicket, quite apart from an innings that undoubtedly saved
the follow-on and the match, retains his place. Gloucestershire could play an
attack of Worrall, Payne, Higgins and two from Taylor, Goodman, Shaw and Smith
that should create plenty of problems for the Middlesex batsmen.
Against a Middlesex side that is still built around
the nucleus of its Championship winning team, that that has been prone to
inexplicable batting collapses, scoreboard pressure will be important, so
Gloucestershire will look for the batting to click and put up a big first
innings score. While Sam Robson has the fifteenth highest run aggregate in the
country (341 @ 48.7), only Robbie White joins him in the top fifty. In
contrast, the very experienced Middlesex bowling attack has been in prime
form and poses an important threat, backed-up by an excellent spinner in the
wonderfully named Thilan Wallalawita, who is in line for his first match
of the season.
Middlesex are 37 points behind the Shire, with one
win (against Surrey) and three defeats. Anything other than a win for Middlesex
would end any realistic hopes that they may have for a top-two finish. With
Hampshire playing Somerset, one of the two is set to lose ground in the race,
particularly if the Shire can managed to burgle a fourth win. Ian Harvey and
Chris Dent will look to deepen the Middlesex crisis in this game, continuing
with their all-out attack that has taken several sides by surprise already.
Middlesex will look to get their challenge for a top-two place back on track.
Day 1:
Chris Dent followed recent habit, won the Toss and
inserted on a morning of hazy sunshine with a lot of cloud, some of it pretty
dark and threatening. A definite tinge of green in the pitch. And, this being
cricket season, there were snow flurries around the country, but thankfully not
at Lord’s.
Gloucestershire made two changes: David Payne
replaced Josh Shaw and Dom Goodman was given a well-deserved rest in an intense
season for a young bowler and replaced by Matt Taylor. The attack thus had some
variety with both left and right arm seam and spin available to the captain.
Middlesex lost Toby Roland-Jones, now back to his best again, to a knee injury
in training that may well end his red-ball season and brought in Wallalawita
and James Harris, recalled from loan to Glamorgan.
Sam Robson came out to bat with Max Holden. David
Payne with the new ball, that was immediately clipped off his legs for two by
Robson to get Middlesex underway. At the other end it was Ryan Higgins and not
Dan Worrall having first use of the new ball. Four slips waiting, which meant
there were gaps in the field, especially at Fine Leg. The first few overs provided
several LBW shouts, as David Payne swung the ball in a little to Robson from
over the wicket, while Ryan Higgins was also getting plenty of movement. With
heavy rain approaching from the north-west the groundstaff were standing ready
by the covers after just a quarter of an hour of action, during which the bat
was beaten frequently enough that neither batsman looked secure. On came the
floodlights and it was just a matter of when, not if, play would be
interrupted. It came after 11.4 overs, at 23-0, with Robson 12* and Holden 7*.
The delay was about half an hour. Back out came the
players, with Ryan Higgins to complete his over. Robson survived the first of
the two deliveries to come and missed the second, pinned in front, even if
there was a suggestion that it might have been high, as he was batting well out
of his ground. 23-1 and Middlesex’s only in-form bat, back in the pavilion. Out
came Nick Gubbins, a couple of seasons ago thought to be a likely England opener
and the first change in the attack, with Dan Worrall relieving David Payne.
When Gubbins took guard well out of his crease too against Ryan Higgins, James
Bracey advanced to the stumps and Chris Dent put in a Short Forward Square Leg
to pressure him. Back went Gubbins to a more normal guard. Second change, as on
came Matt Taylor, with the ball frequently reaching James Bracey on the
half-volley or even after bouncing: it looked like another desperately slow
Lord’s pitch.
Holden did not last long. Matt Taylor brought a
ball into him, up the slope, that he left extravagantly. Although there was
some question of height, it looked to be hitting the top of middle. Middlesex
48-2 after 21.4 overs, Holden LBW 16 and the old fan favourite of Middlesex_batting_collapse.com was
threatening to re-surface. However, Lunch was reached with no further problems:
51-2 from 24 overs, Gubbins 8*, Hanscomb 3*.
David Payne was swinging the ball into the
right-hander and bowling beautifully. Finally Hanscomb got one that he decided
to leave a ball that came back and uprooted off stump. Not the best leave. 61-3,
Hanscomb 10. Soon after, back came the rain: 63-3 after 33 overs, Gubbins 11,
White 2. Of course, not unnaturally, within minutes the skies started to clear
and the Sun was shining so, again, the delay was not a long one. Finally,
Gubbins’ long vigil ended when he edged David Payne to George Hankins at Second
Slip and, despite frozen fingers and a juggle, George Hankins took an excellent
catch: 78-4, Gubbins 18. White was very lucky when he edged Ryan Higgins fast
to Chris Dent at Third Slip who claimed a low catch. It was a brilliant take
but, finally, the Square Leg umpire ruled that it was on the half-volley,
although it did look from the TV images to have carried.
The hundred came up in bright sunshine in the 46th
over as run-scoring seemed to become somewhat easier. A period of relative calm
followed, but it was not to last. Last ball before Tea, John Simpson who had
just hit Tom Smith for a straight four, got a lovely ball from him that turned
in a little and beat him all ends up. 117-5, Simpson LBW Smith, 17 and the
Shire on top and with a chance to finish off the innings cheaply in the final
session.
However, White and Andersson battled well and the
partnership reached 42 before, finally, Matt Taylor brought one back in to
Andersson and got an LBW shout upheld (so many had been turned down through the
day). Andersson out for 20, 159-6. Shortly after, White reached his 50 (103
balls, 6x4), the only player to make batting look easy. Gloucestershire were
taking wickets just often enough to make the insertion the right decision, but
you wondered what the Middlesex attack would do on this pitch. Again, a
partnership developed between White and Harris before David Payne, who had bowled beautifully, put one through James
Harris and bowled him neck and crop on middle and off: 184-7, Harris 8. Then
Ryan Higgins came back and bowled a beauty outside off at Bamber, who could
only edge it through to James Bracey: 195-8. The 200 came up in the 79th
over, with Middlesex edging, sometimes literally, to a par total.
New ball taken at 206-8, with White farming the
strike and scoring when he could. Payne, who had bowled really well, given
first use. Walallawita played one superb cover drive for four and edged his
next ball to Chris Dent at Third Slip: 210-9. In came the Lambeth Lara, Tim
Murtagh. Twenty years ago Murtagh was a batsman who bowled, now it was a matter
of how long it took David Payne to produce a straight one… it was second ball,
not first. Middlesex 210ao. Payne,
18.5-6-31-5. A very well deserved 5-for. Seven overs for Kraigg Brathwaite and Chris
Dent to face.
With balls beating the bat constantly and frequent
loud appeals, a wicket seemed inevitable. What was strange was the way that it
came. Chris Dent took two fours from a Murtagh over and then pushed a ball to
Mid-Wicket and set off for a run that was never on. When the direct hit arrived
he was stranded, yards down the pitch. 13-1 and a gift for Middlesex. In came
Matt Taylor as night-watchman with a single over left. 19-1 at the Close,
Brathwaite 5*, Taylor 2*.
The fear is that, well as Gloucestershire bowled,
Middlesex may have been allowed to get close to a par score. We will see on the
‘morrow.
Day 2:
Brilliant sunshine again. The outfield in magnificent condition.
The pitch still looking quite green. Gloucestershire’s first task, to see off
the new ball. Their second, to get a significant first innings lead and batting
bonus points. With just 61 needed to avoid the follow-on, surely the
heart-stopping “will they, won’t they?” of the last two games could be avoided.
The morning started very quietly and slowly. Both Kraigg
Brathwaite and Matt Taylor played carefully, taking no risks. Only 6 runs came
in the first eight overs with Matt Taylor outscored Kraigg Brathwaite
comfortably in the first hour. Brathwaite did not even reach double figures
until the 22nd over. Was this the start of the major innings from
the West Indies captain that Gloucestershire fans have been waiting to see (so
far, his top score is just 60)? Or would he continue to struggle to cash-in on
starts in English conditions. Only 24 runs from the first hour, with Matt
Taylor falling as the hour struck, edging Andersson low to Simpson behind. Matt
Taylor 13, 43-2 and the night-watchman had done his job well: too well for the
liking of Middlesex, one suspects. Up came the 50 at the end of the 24th
over as scoring started to become easier. Kraigg Brathwaite visibly moved up a
gear with the arrival of James Bracey, taking three fours in four deliveries
from Harris and Andersson, making you think that today might be the day.
With nothing much happening for the seamers, Thilan Walallawita,
who has a curious pre-delivery routine that consistis of turning and wringing
the ball in his hand, came on for an exploratory over before Lunch, possibly as
much to test Kevin Hand in the commentary box as the batsmen. The session
finished with Murtagh probing outside James Bracey’s off stump: one flew past
the batsman’s edge but the session finished with a controlled deflection for
four along the ground past the slips, followed by a beautiful cut to the Point
boundary.
87-2 at Lunch from 39 overs. 68 runs for the fall of the
night-watchman in 32 overs in the session and Middlesex needing wickets as the
batsmen started to take control. Kraigg Brathwaite 31*, James Bracey 27*. After
probably having the worst of conditions in the last two games, for a change,
Gloucestershire could have no complaints on that score today.
Could Kraigg Brathwaite improve on his top score of 60 in seven
innings for the Shire? Harris gave him width, Brathwaite cut hard and Robson
took a fabulous flying catch at Point. Kraigg Brathwaite out for 33 and his inability
to convert starts continues: 18, 36, 60, 21, 9, 16 & 33.
So, now it was 89-3 and Gloucestershire were in need of a
partnership. The hundred came up in the 44th over (100-3), with
James Bracey 34* and Tom Lace 2*. The runrate was slow but, miraculously, the
Middlesex overrate, so often a source of anguish to them due to the threat of
points deductions, was +2. You guessed that Tom Lace wanted a good performance
against his former county, but he could not get it: Murtagh bowled him a
straight one, Tom Lace played down the wrong line. LBW. Lace out for 2, the
score 100-4 and the shine of the morning session wearing off quickly.
Slowly, oh so slowly, James Bracey and Ian Cockbain re-built
against a persevering attack. Walallawita pitched one a little outside off,
James Bracey saw it coming, skipped down the pitch and lofted it to the Long-On
boundary for his 50 (115 balls, 7x4), 143-4. Up came the 150 and the 50
partnership in the 64th over, with Gloucestershire needing to
convert consolidation into acceleration to have any chance of more than two
batting points. James Bracey, who had been dropped twice, both very difficult
chances, was in the mood to supply it, first hitting Walallawita for a lofted
four over Long-On and then repeating the shot for six next ball: 13 off the
over, 8 from his next, as James Bracey moved to 72 with a reverse sweep. Then
Ian Cockbain took 10 off a James Harris over and, suddenly, the tight control
that Middlesex had exercised all day was loosened: 33 in 4 overs, more than
Gloucestershire had made in the first hour of the morning. A glance off his hip
from Ian Cockbain and up came his 50 (78 balls, 8x4). Unfortunately for him,
the very next delivery from Andersson
went through him like a shell and left Leg Stump cartwheeling: 191-5 and battle
very much re-joined after a fine partnership of 91.
In came Ryan Higgins who started to play busily. Up came the 200
and the first batting point in the 71st over. 201-5 at Tea, Bracey
74*, Higgins 9*. 39 overs left for both sides to add to their bonus points.
James Bracey was looking set for a century until he went for one shot too many
and hooked Andersson to straight to a delighted Harris on the Square Leg
boundary: Bracey 75 (143 balls, 9x4, 1x6), 205-6. Once again, the Middlesex
fielding top class, throwing themselves around for everything. Ryan Higgins
though took nine, including two boundaries from a Walallawita over to take the
Shire into the lead: the question now was how much they could extend it?
On came the floodlights as the cloud cover increased. With George
Hankins needing a score to keep his place, Ryan Higgins laid into the bowling,
taking a special liking to Walallawita and scoring at better than a run-a-ball.
Hankins though could not stay with him and edged Andersson, who was relatively
expensive, but taking wickets, to Robson at Third Slip where he took another
excellent catch. Runs were coming in a rush, but wickets were falling as the
match moved on like an express train out of control.
On came Robson to bowl his (very occasional) leg spin for the last
over before the new ball. Ryan Higgins cut him very hard through Point for
four. 243-7 and Murtagh with the new cherry. Tom Smith murtaghed one that was
too straight for a boundary that took the Shire within touching distance of a
second batting point, which duly arrived in the 82nd over. Higgins
kept the scoreboard moving quickly: Murtagh was swung high over the Square Leg
boundary to take him to 49 but, next ball, one kept very low and Murtagh got
his revenge: Ryan Higgins LBW Murtagh 49 (43 balls, 6x4, 1x6), 260-8, the lead
50.
How many runs could the last two wickets thrash? Answer: not many.
Tom Smith went after a ball from Bamber and edged through to Simpson (264-9).
The last wicket fun did not last long as David Payne drove a ball from Bamber
straight to Hanscombe at Mid-Off. 273ao. Probably 50 short of what it should
have been. Middlesex though had stuck to their task well.
So, 19 overs left. Floodlights on. Some balls keeping very low,
others popping. An interesting short session for Middlesex given that the
second innings has been their bugbear this season.
By the 7th over, Middlesex were in deep, deep trouble.
Holden and Robson held out for three overs before Robson played completely down
the wrong line to Ryan Higgins and was sent on his way LBW for 8, 12-1. Worse
was to come. A ball from David Payne got big on Holden, who popped it up on the
leg side and Payne made excellent ground to take a brilliant, diving return
catch. 16-2, 47 behind still.
Time for Payne and Higgins to take a break. On came Dan Worrall
and Matt Taylor. Handscomb fished at a Matt Taylor delivery and edged well
short of Kraigg Brathwaite at 1st Slip, but must have been mortified
to see James Bracey’s incredible dive to take the ball one-handed in pure Alan
Knott (or Jack Russell) style. Handscomb 4, Middlesex 23-3 and their innings in
ruins, with a night-watchman (the unlucky Ethan Bamber) asked to act in the
Horatius role for the last three and a half overs of the day. He did it and Middlesex
closed on 26-3, still 37 behind, leaving the more nervous Middlesex fans
worrying about the innings defeat.
With a lot of rain forecast for Saturday, this match may go into
the last day, but it will take a massive effort for Middlesex to save it now.
Gloucestershire are playing some excellent cricket and, if they do wrap up
victory, it will send shockwaves through the chasing pack. Minor Counties West?
Indeed!
Day 3:
The expected rains arrived but, despite the best efforts of Kevin
Hand, doing his rain dance in the Lord’s Media Centre, Jupiter Pluvius’s efforts
were a bit half-hearted. Lord’s being a very quickly drying ground, with some
of the best covers in the country, the mopping-up exercise was relatively swift
and play started at 13:10, by which time play had already been abandoned
elsewhere.
With lowering skies and the floodlights on, conditions again
favoured the bowlers. And with a night-watchman at the crease, Minor Counties
West would fancy an early wicket to get some momentum.
For four and a half overs things went to plan for Middlesex.
Horatius Bamber held the bridge at one end while Nick Gubbins set out to score
at the other. Three boundaries in an over from David Payne took the score to
45-3, the deficit just 18. The bad news for Bamber was that it was not Lars
Porsena who he had to keep out but, instead, Ryan Higgins. Higgins is not so
good with the broadsword, but his inswinger is infinitely better than Lars
Porsena’s: definitely too good for Bamber, who could only edge it through to
James Bracey. 45-4, effectively -18 for 4. Not the best position. It got worse.
Middlesex could not afford to lose another quick wicket. Robbie White got off
the mark third ball, but that was as good as it got for him. Leave to a ball
from David Payne that was not missing off by much. The next ball he also left before
realising, too late, that this was the wrong decision: his chop down was too
late to stop the ball hammering into off from the inside edge: 46 (or -17) for
5.
There then followed possibly the best phase of the match for
Middlesex. Gubbins and Simpson batted solidly, sensibly and with aggression and
brought scores level in the 27th over: that slight danger of the
innings defeat had vanished, but there was a long way to go to get a total to
defend. A bouncer from David Payne that went way over James Bracey took
Middlesex into the lead. Gubbins gave Matt Taylor the treatment with three
fours in an over. Up came the fifty partnership at a run-a-ball, then Gubbins’s
50 – an excellent innings – and horrible imaginings started to surface in
Gloucestershire minds. In the Sky commentary box Nasser Hussain speculated that
putting up 300 would give Gloucestershire a difficult chase. However, when a
side is down, luck does not usually favour it. Middlesex had had the worst of
the conditions and now got the wrong end of the sort of LBW call that could
easily have gone the other way: first, Simpson got a ball that he knew nothing
about that squirted out to leg for a single off inside edge and pad, then
Gubbins got one that hit pad and would certainly have hit the stumps, but could
well have been pitching just outside off. Gubbins LBW Payne 52, 109-6 and
things had swung right back to the Shire.
Simpson though, is a fine bat and set out to score runs while he
could. Again, a partnership started to develop. However, it needed an act of
god to save the match and what Middlesex were getting were acts of Payne. Ball
pitched right up, Simpson chipped it back and a delighted David Payne took the
return catch: 134-7. Simpson, really the last hope, out for 40. So often in the
past James Harris has saved Middlesex with 50s from seemingly hopeless
positions but, this time, it was his turn to feel the Payne. He survived two
balls. The third was dead straight. His bat was not and the ball would have hit
middle. 134-8. A double-wicket maiden from David Payne, 5-42 from him. A reward
for some excellent bowling.
Andersson was still there, would he start to swing the bat? He
tried to against David Payne and flashed a huge edge to Kraigg Brathwaite at 1st
Slip, who took a good catch, high and to his right after a juggle. 135-9, the
lead 72. In came the Lambeth Lara, Tim Murtagh. Murtagh’s style now is to back
away to leg and try to ladle the ball away in a style that suggested that the
captain had erred in not declaring when the ninth wicket fell. Walallawita too backed
away… sometimes… but was happy to stand his ground to Payne and whack it if it
was in his half. A Payne over went for 13 as Walallawita thumped joyously for
four and a huge six. Back came Dan Worrall to put some order. Murtagh, moved
his front foot back towards Square Leg and tried to hit his first delivery into
the middle of next week: James Bracey accepted the edge. 152ao. 90 to win.
David Payne 17-5-56-6. Superb bowling.
Floodlights on. Thick black cloud. Perfect bowling conditions. A
small target. Not the sort of chase that anyone likes. Probably Gloucestershire
would have preferred to chase 200 or 250.
Middlesex probably wanted two or three quick wickets to see how
the nerves were. Murtagh and Bamber with the new ball. Kraigg Brathwaite took first strike. The
first few overs were played calmly. Chris Dent took the majority of the strike
and did the majority of the scoring. 26-0 from 10 overs, Dent 19*, Brathwaite
7*. Dent took boundaries off both bowlers, but also ran hard. It was the same
pattern as against Leicestershire: fielders were put under pressure, singles
became 2s and 2s became 3s. All the time the shadows from the floodlights were getting
darker and it looked increasingly unlikely that the game could finish today.
Chris Dent though was seeing the ball just fine. Bamber overpitched and Chris
Dent thumped the ball emphatically through the Covers: Dent 25*, Brathwaite 9*,
34-0.
Bamber though, got revenge. Lovely delivery though the gate. Chris
Dent beaten all ends up and the Off Stump cartwheeled to Leg Slip. 34-1. Chris
Dent 25 (47 balls, 4x4). In came James Bracey and edgeg through Sam Robson’s
hands at Second Slip. The ball went for four and he followed it with a Cover
Drive four next ball. 45-1 from 15 overs (Brathwaite 10*, Bracey 10*) and half
way there already. With three Slips and an attacking field there would always
be run-scoring possibilities. Up came the 50 in the 18th over,
taking James Bracey onto 13: he then chipped Bamber gently and tamely to Murtagh
at Mid On. 50-2, 40 needed. For all the talking up of the Middlesex chances
from the Home Counties commentators, the body language on the pitch did not
seem to suggest that Middlesex felt that they had the match at their mercy now
and the light had improved again. Tom Lace took three consecutive boundaries off
Harris to take the runs required under 20. Fifteen from the over, 73-2. 17
wanted. Cover drive from Tom Lace, Handscomb dived over it rather than just
making the pickup and allowed it through for the boundary, 77-2, 13 wanted,
Lace 24*. Even Kraigg Brathwaite awoke from this Boycottian slumber and crashed
a boundary through Point to bring the runs required down to 7. On came
Walallawita, with almost everyone saving one. 5 wanted at the end of the over.
Would Kraigg Brathwaite see it through? With three wanted he missed
a straight one from Harris that thudded into the pad and he was on his way,
87-3, Brathwaite 21. In came Ian Cockbain, hero with Tom Lace of the
Leicestershire chase and, somehow, it was appropriate that it was them who knocked
off the last few singles. The game ended with a boundary for Tom Lace for a
very convincing win. This was Gloucestershire’s first win at Lord’s since 2010
and a comfortable one it was too.
For Middlesex, it was a fourth defeat. For Gloucestershire, a
fourth win. 95 points, a 29-point lead at the top. For Middlesex, surely the end
of their chances of a top-two finish.
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