Middlesex v Durham MCCU Squad Announcement

The squad for the maiden first-class Middlesex game of the season has been announced, and it goes like this:

Neil Dexter (captain)
Gareth Berg
Corey Collymore
Steven Crook
Adam London
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
Chris Rogers
Toby Roland-Jones
John Simpson (wk)


Joe Denly is out with a calf strain, and fingers crossed he'll be OK for Somerset on Thursday, but it seems like it's touch and go. It would be tough for Joe to come straight into a big championship game after missing all of pre-season, so he may well miss out, get a seconds game under his belt, and then in to make his Middlesex debut. It's a little bit ironic (only if you ask Alanis Morrissette) that Scott Newman has gone out on loan as he wasn't going to be needed for the early part of the season, and chances are he would have played in the first few games! (OK, not that ironic)

Denly missing out gives Adam London a chance in the first team. Adam didn't play at all in the Championship last year, but is a very talented batsman, and deserves a go in the firsts. At the age of 23 this year could be now or never for Adam, as if he doesn't establish himself this year, he may make a decision like Dan Housego and look to go elsewhere. Having struggled with his injuries over the last couple of years, it would be great to see him nail down a spot in the team, but as chances will be few and far between (with an ever-growing likelihood that Messrs Morgan and Strauss will be available for long spells this year) he'll have to take his chances when he gets them, and this is the perfect opportunity.

As for the rest of the team, we'll probably see Chris Rogers move up to open alongside Robson, with London, or possibly Malan in at 3. As with last year, we're likely to go in with four seamers and a spinner, so it's a toss-up between Steven Crook and Toby Roland-Jones for the final seamer spot (behind Murtagh, Collymore and Berg), and chances are they'll plump for TRJ. So would guess that the team will be:

1) Robson
2) Rogers
3) London
4) Malan
5) Dexter (c)
6) Simpson
7) Berg
8) Rayner
9) Roland-Jones
10) Murtagh
11) Collymore

This is pretty close to how they'll line up at Taunton next week, with the only possible change being Denly in for London (if Joe has recovered, and has got bored of playing Draw Something against me), but that remains to be seen!

The match is at Merchant Taylors' and is free entry, and with the sun out hopefully there'll be a fair few in to see Middlesex in their first official game of the year!