Going away to the county champions is always a tough ask, and while Lancashire have had a tough start to the season (they are yet to pick up a victory in the championship) it was obvious that this would be a difficult week against strong opposition.
After losing yet another toss (incredibly that's six out of six lost now this year), Lancashire went in for a bat, and thanks to Ashwell Prince, made 144 on what looked to be a batsman's paradise. With the sun out and the pitch flat, it was a tough task for the bowlers, but they all plugged away manfully. With Strauss and Finn away with England, Morgan came in for his first Championship game in nearly two years, which mean that the balance of the team (six bats, keeper and four bowlers) remained the same, but it could be argued that on that pitch we were a bowler light.
After Lancashire put on an imposing 392, disappointingly the batsmen didn't quite get it going. Most of the top order batsmen made starts (only Rogers and Morgan of the top 8 made less than 19), but nobody went on to make the telling score that Prince had for the hosts. The batting has improved since the start of the season (which with the improvement in the weather is to be expected) but concerns still linger, as does the propensity to collapse at any given point. In many ways, this makes the rearguard action in the second innings all the more impressive, as it certainly hasn't been the norm so far this year.
Middlesex were bowled out midway through the third day short of the follow-on target, but Lancashire chose not to enforce, instead chasing quick runs which they hoped would set up victory. While tactically this strategy was probably the right one for captain Chapple to play, with hindsight it's fairly obvious that he kept his team out there for far too long. Making 266 from 54 overs, Chapple set Middlesex an unlikely 429 to win from three and a half sessions, and the fact that he stayed out there long into the final session of the third day only helped Middlesex in their attempts to save the draw.
Of course, given the way we batted Chapple could have given us ten sessions and probably wouldn't have got us out. Chris Rogers was like a man possessed, and after missing out a bit this year, you sensed that he was determined to make a telling score and save the game for his side. 138 not out was made by Buck - his first ton of the year - and indeed only his second time past fifty. Those runs just show Buck's importance to the team; with backs up against the wall he's often the man who delivers. He's now made four tons for Middlesex, and none of them have been made in winning causes, but this only emphasises the fact that he puts his hand up and makes the "hard" runs when his team needs it most. Credit must also go to Sam Robson and Joe Denly who both kept him company and made fifties as the draw was managed at 5pm only 1 wicket down.
Again, another week where Middlesex have competed well. As with quite a few games this year, we haven't got into many winning positions, but we have showed that we can compete, and that we are able to hold our own against the strongest teams in the division. Lancashire have struggled this year, but they still are a good side, so to take a draw from that game is very encouraging. Next up is Sussex, and while we've now had a run of fixtures against teams who will fancy finishing at the top end of the table, we now have a chance to beat one of the 'teams around us' in mid-table. Sussex do of course have a strong side, but so do we, and this is exactly the sort of game that we should be targeting. Here is the squad that's been announced...:
Chris Rogers (c)
Gareth Berg
Corey Collymore
Joe Denly
Neil Dexter
Steven Finn
Dawid Malan
Eoin Morgan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
Toby Roland-Jones
John Simpson
No real shocks to the squad, and we're lucky to have Finn back for this game after he missed the adventures in Aigburth. Toby Roland-Jones has come back in after recovering from his injury, and he'll hope to continue the excellent start to the season that he was enjoying before he was struck down. However, unless Berg or Murtagh are given a rest Toby's unlikely to play, with Finn likely to be the man coming straight in for Collymore, who again went wicketless against Lancashire.
Corey's had a pretty miserable start to the season, and just hasn't got it going, which has really made his place vulnerable. He's only taken six first class wickets all year, and the likes of Steven Crook and Anthony Ireland may not be too far away from a call up if Corey's misery continues. For my money, it's the dreads. Once those grow back, he'll be fine...
I'd guess that the team will be the same as at Liverpool other than Finn in for Corey, which means we'll line up as:
Rogers (c)
Robson
Denly
Malan
Morgan
Dexter
Simpson (wk)
Berg
Rayner
Murtagh
Finn
With Denly enjoying batting at three (after being pushed down a spot when Strauss was around) he looks as though he's staying there, and while Rogers does prefer batting at first drop, he's more than capable (as proved last week) as an opener, and is happy to take one for the team and open up alongside Robson. Otherwise I don't envisage any shocks to that team, and with the sun due to be out at Lord's, it might be nice to win the toss (for once), have a bat and stick on about 700! Here's to the next four days!
Showing posts with label Corey Collymore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corey Collymore. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
A few harsh lessons learnt
After a month of the four-day stuff, the coloured kits were broken out for the first time this season as Middlesex took on Gloucestershire in the first CB40 game of the season, and as it happened, it was live on Sky. Sadly, it was quite comfortably Middlesex's worst performance of the season, almost from start to finish, as the Gloucs Gladiators ran out victors by 5 wickets.
After rain washed out a couple of hours, the match was reduced to 26 overs a side, and after losing yet another toss (that's 5 out of 5 defeats with the coin this year), Middlesex (back under the stewardship of Neil Dexter) were asked once more to bat (that's the 5th time out of 5 that that's happened too). Malan and Denly opened up, and looked fairly confident, but while they put on 45 runs for the first wicket, they never really got going. Wickets fell all too regularly, and no batsman got set, or indeed scored at the rate necessary in a much reduced game. Only Paul Stirling of the top seven scored at over a run a ball, and against Gloucestershire attack that (no offence) didn't look that threatening, that isn't good enough.
Some late order smashing got us up to over 150 from the 26 overs, which looked about par, but would need a good bowling performance to defend it. Sadly, we didn't get it. Murtagh and Collymore opened up, and bowled what can only be described as a load of shite. For reasons that I am yet to understand, Murtagh, who has bowled almost solely from the Nursery End in his Middlesex career, was told to run in from the Pavilion, and vice versa for Corey. Whether that was a hunch or not from cap'n Dexter, it failed spectacularly, with Hamish Marshall cashing in on some lacklustre bowling to set a platform for an easy chase for his team. The bowlers were rotated a fair bit, with 8 of the team getting a go (for trivia fans, the three not required to turn their arms over were Simpson, Malan and Rogers), with part-time being favoured to the specialist bowlers at times, with Gareth Berg only getting one over. It was a very poor effort from Middlesex in the field; they didn't bowl well enough, didn't field as well as Gloucestershire (who saved at least ten runs through athletic fielding) and ultimately, they didn't bat as well as them either. All-round, a very disappointing effort from Middlesex.
On the bright side, this is just the first game, so there is still time to turn it around in the 40 over competition, but the nature of the competition is that only one of the seven in the group (or two if we're lucky) can get through, so we're going to have to bounce back very quickly. Also some positives to take out of the game was the bowling of Ollie Rayner, who was very economical from his six overs and took two wickets, and I thought Steven Crook bowled with pace and hostility on his first outing of the year as the game ebbed away from Middlesex. John Simpson paced his innings very well, after a slow start to gauge conditions he then started to free the arms, and without his quickfire 29, the game could really have been embarrassing.
However, it wasn't a day of many positives, and the Panthers will have to pick themselves up from the defeat and move on quickly. And the first place to move on to is the 4 day game at Nottingham starting tomorrow (Wednesday), for which a 12 man squad has been announced:
Chris Rogers (c)
Gareth Berg
Corey Collymore
Joe Denly
Neil Dexter
Steven Finn
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
John Simpson
Andrew Strauss
Strauss and Finn are available, for what might be the last time before the test series starts, which is a plus. Toby Roland-Jones is out with a foot injury, which hopefully won't be too serious, and his place will almost certainly be filled by Corey Collymore, who's missed the last two games. Corey's had a very slow start to the season, and will really want to make his mark on a Nottinghamshire team that have begun the season very well. They, like us, will have the England duo of Swann and Broad available, but luckily they're missing Patel and Taylor, who are on England Lions duty.
The pessimists amongst the Middlesex fans who are looking at relegation will note that we already have two of the so-called "four wins needed to stay up", and with three quarters of the season still remaining, another win here would really see us looking up the table, rather than down. Of course, this comes against a Nottinghamshire team full of strength and confidence, but there's enough quality in the Middlesex team too to pull of an upset. The toss at Trent Bridge has been fairly key, with loads of wickets falling on the first day, before it dries out to see runs later on in the game, so hopefully Buck will have been practising his tossing and it will come down on our side. There's a very high chance of rain in the game (90% on one day), but fingers crossed it will all stay dry and allow Middlesex to continue their (championship) unbeaten run.
Come on the Middle!
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Denly, declarations, and defeat (for Worcestershire)
After three rain ruined days, the match between Middlesex and Worcestershire seemed to be heading towards a bore draw. However, after an early morning conversation between the captains, and a rather generous declaration from Worcs captain Mitchell, Middlesex needed 10 wickets in a day to win the game, and did so with a few hours to spare, finally wrapping up the final wicket as Worcestershire were all out for 150, with Middlesex taking the win by 132 runs.
With a contrived double declaration overnight meaning Worcestershire needed 283 runs for victory from the 96 overs in the day, it was always going to be a tough ask, and questions will need to be asked of the Worcestershire captain, as it always seemed a ridiculously unlikely scenario to see his team win. Credit must go to Rogers for somehow getting Mitchell to agree to the target, as only a Middlesex win was ever likely - that was proved as Worcs fell one ball short of half way to surviving the day, and 132 runs short of actually winning the game.
Anyway, Middlesex pick up their second win of the season, and move into fourth spot in the table. Relegation? Pah!
So what have we learned from the game? Well, first and foremost, Joe Denly is some player. Coming in after a decent sized partnership between Robson and Strauss (Robbo made 50, Strauss fell one run short of his half-century), Denly looked incredibly composed at the crease, and his first Middlesex century (an unbeaten 134 - incidentally just two runs more than the eventual margin of victory, so it could quite literally be called a "match-winning innings") included 19 fours and a six - a sign that he is more than capable of sending the ball to the boundary. A different innings to his previous 'big' score for Middlesex, where he gutsed out a seventy-odd against Vernon Philander and Somerset , Denly was able to take advantage of some less than dangerous bowling, and push Middlesex up to 327/7 declared - what proved to be a winning score. Alan Richardson aside, Worcs' bowling attack looked very ordinary, and allied to an equally average batting performance, it's easy to see why many are tipping them to go down this year. You feel Richardson's going to have to have yet another magical season with the ball if they're to get anywhere in Division One this summer.
Equally, however, while the top order thrived, the middle order failed, yet again. 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Rogers, Malan, Dexter and Simpson only contributed 23 runs between them, and that middle-order collapse has become a part of every game this year. While we've often been bailed out by the strong top order, there are question marks over some of these players, and it will be interesting to see who scores heavily for the seconds (if they're able to get out on the pitch) over the next few weeks, as they may well be called into action to rejuvinate an ailing Middlesex middle. Runs for Berg were handy after a torrid start to the season with the bat for him (he now averages 8 with the blade), and of course, the Lambeth Lara remained unbeaten as Middlesex declared, with Murtagh's average now second in the list this year for Middlesex, with 32.
However, as well as Middlesex batted, the game was won with the ball. After taking two Worcs wickets last night, they came back this morning to see Worcestershire had started a new innings, and then took the ten wickets to win for just 150. Middlesex's bowling figures so far this year are excellent, with Roland-Jones leading the way with 16 Championship wickets at an incredible return of 13. He took four wickets in the game, as did Murtagh, with Finn and Berg both chipping in with two apiece. Yet again Middlesex haven't needed a spinner, and given the early season conditions being incredibly conducive for the fast bowlers, chances are Ollie Rayner may be waiting a while to get a go again in four day cricket. Corey Collymore (to my surprise) missed out in this game, and given the form of the four seamers, and with Finn likely to be available for next week's game at Trent Bridge against Nottingham, Corey may miss out once more. There are some faint murmerings of the West Indies calling Corey up for their test side for the games against England due to the visa problems of their touring squad, which would see the odd situation of Corey getting into the West Indies team but not Middlesex's! (Although I do have it on fairly good authority that Corey will not be called for, and even if he was, he would be unlikely to accept, given that this would end his hopes of playing for Middlesex as a Kolpak).
The big story from the game however was the declaration, and while other counties might sniff at an incredibly generous offer from Mitchell, it can't be denied that Middlesex played winning cricket throughout the game. Our 327/7 played 195/12, and it would have been unfair had rain denied us the chance to take the win, and the valuable 16 points. The fact that 16 points is on offer for the win (as opposed for the 3 for the draw) would have tempted Mitchell into his decision, as a draw is almost meaningless compared to the vast rewards given by a win. However, Worcestershire supporters will bemoan the fact that a more even declaration was not sought by Mitchell, as it was a very one-sided decision, and I'm sure Rogers would have accepted a 260 chase in 60 overs, rather than 283 in 96, which completely took the draw out of the equation, and made the Worcs chase incredibly unlikely. Still, Middlesex won't mind, and will take a big win which could prove crucial come the end of the season.
Up tomorrow is the start of the CB40 with a game against Gloucestershire, and we wait with baited breath the squad for that, just to see in what direction the side will be going. Will bring you news of that as and when!
Come on the Middle!
With a contrived double declaration overnight meaning Worcestershire needed 283 runs for victory from the 96 overs in the day, it was always going to be a tough ask, and questions will need to be asked of the Worcestershire captain, as it always seemed a ridiculously unlikely scenario to see his team win. Credit must go to Rogers for somehow getting Mitchell to agree to the target, as only a Middlesex win was ever likely - that was proved as Worcs fell one ball short of half way to surviving the day, and 132 runs short of actually winning the game.
Anyway, Middlesex pick up their second win of the season, and move into fourth spot in the table. Relegation? Pah!
So what have we learned from the game? Well, first and foremost, Joe Denly is some player. Coming in after a decent sized partnership between Robson and Strauss (Robbo made 50, Strauss fell one run short of his half-century), Denly looked incredibly composed at the crease, and his first Middlesex century (an unbeaten 134 - incidentally just two runs more than the eventual margin of victory, so it could quite literally be called a "match-winning innings") included 19 fours and a six - a sign that he is more than capable of sending the ball to the boundary. A different innings to his previous 'big' score for Middlesex, where he gutsed out a seventy-odd against Vernon Philander and Somerset , Denly was able to take advantage of some less than dangerous bowling, and push Middlesex up to 327/7 declared - what proved to be a winning score. Alan Richardson aside, Worcs' bowling attack looked very ordinary, and allied to an equally average batting performance, it's easy to see why many are tipping them to go down this year. You feel Richardson's going to have to have yet another magical season with the ball if they're to get anywhere in Division One this summer.
Equally, however, while the top order thrived, the middle order failed, yet again. 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Rogers, Malan, Dexter and Simpson only contributed 23 runs between them, and that middle-order collapse has become a part of every game this year. While we've often been bailed out by the strong top order, there are question marks over some of these players, and it will be interesting to see who scores heavily for the seconds (if they're able to get out on the pitch) over the next few weeks, as they may well be called into action to rejuvinate an ailing Middlesex middle. Runs for Berg were handy after a torrid start to the season with the bat for him (he now averages 8 with the blade), and of course, the Lambeth Lara remained unbeaten as Middlesex declared, with Murtagh's average now second in the list this year for Middlesex, with 32.
However, as well as Middlesex batted, the game was won with the ball. After taking two Worcs wickets last night, they came back this morning to see Worcestershire had started a new innings, and then took the ten wickets to win for just 150. Middlesex's bowling figures so far this year are excellent, with Roland-Jones leading the way with 16 Championship wickets at an incredible return of 13. He took four wickets in the game, as did Murtagh, with Finn and Berg both chipping in with two apiece. Yet again Middlesex haven't needed a spinner, and given the early season conditions being incredibly conducive for the fast bowlers, chances are Ollie Rayner may be waiting a while to get a go again in four day cricket. Corey Collymore (to my surprise) missed out in this game, and given the form of the four seamers, and with Finn likely to be available for next week's game at Trent Bridge against Nottingham, Corey may miss out once more. There are some faint murmerings of the West Indies calling Corey up for their test side for the games against England due to the visa problems of their touring squad, which would see the odd situation of Corey getting into the West Indies team but not Middlesex's! (Although I do have it on fairly good authority that Corey will not be called for, and even if he was, he would be unlikely to accept, given that this would end his hopes of playing for Middlesex as a Kolpak).
The big story from the game however was the declaration, and while other counties might sniff at an incredibly generous offer from Mitchell, it can't be denied that Middlesex played winning cricket throughout the game. Our 327/7 played 195/12, and it would have been unfair had rain denied us the chance to take the win, and the valuable 16 points. The fact that 16 points is on offer for the win (as opposed for the 3 for the draw) would have tempted Mitchell into his decision, as a draw is almost meaningless compared to the vast rewards given by a win. However, Worcestershire supporters will bemoan the fact that a more even declaration was not sought by Mitchell, as it was a very one-sided decision, and I'm sure Rogers would have accepted a 260 chase in 60 overs, rather than 283 in 96, which completely took the draw out of the equation, and made the Worcs chase incredibly unlikely. Still, Middlesex won't mind, and will take a big win which could prove crucial come the end of the season.
Up tomorrow is the start of the CB40 with a game against Gloucestershire, and we wait with baited breath the squad for that, just to see in what direction the side will be going. Will bring you news of that as and when!
Come on the Middle!
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Middlesex v Worcestershire Squad News
Middlesex's week off couldn't have come at a better time, as every game around the country was rain ruined, with no results possible. This means that nobody was able to get a big win, effectively meaning Middlesex will have 16 games in a 15 game season, and the extra points there could make all the difference come the end of September. Everyone will be hoping that the rain doesn't come this week, as on paper, Worcestershire at home is our most winnable game of the year. No disrespect at all to Worcs, but looking at their squad compared to the other counties in Division One, they appear to be the weakest, and the home and away games against them should be our best chance of racking up some serious points. It would have been infuriating had this game been last week to see both teams sit in the pavilion for all four days (as happened at the Oval, where Surrey and Durham didn't even get one ball bowled), so fingers crossed the weather stays fine for this week.
Onto matters Middlesex, and the 13 man squad has been named...
Chris Rogers (c)
Gareth Berg
Corey Collymore
Joe Denly
Neil Dexter
Steven Finn
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
Toby Roland-Jones
John Simpson (wk)
Andrew Strauss
Unsurprsingly, it's the 11 who took on Durham last time out, with the addition of the rested Corey Collymore, and 12th man Ollie Rayner. Chris Rogers remains as captain, and there don't seem to be any injury doubts, meaning that (perhaps Eoin Morgan aside) this is Middlesex's strongest possible squad for a four day game. (Although fans of Paul Stirling will tell you different)
As for the team that will be picked, chances are the make-up of the team will be the same. Ollie Rayner didn't play last time, and seeing as it's even less likely to spin this week, he'll probably miss out again, meaning it'll be six batsmen with the keeper at seven, followed by four seamers. Corey was rested against Durham, but he's back, and with the rotation policy that is needed for the bowlers, one of Murtagh, Roland-Jones or Berg will make way for Corey. It could be any of those three, but it won't make much difference as to who misses out, as with Finn and Collymore in (plus two others) it will be a very strong seam attack either way. The rest that whoever it is gets will be important as the season progresses, so there won't be many complaints from whoever is chosen to help Ollie mix some drinks for the four days.
As to the batting, Middlesex will really need to be on their game, especially with Wisden Cricketer of the Year, and former Middlesex favourite Alan Richardson taking the new ball. Ideally we might win a toss for the first time this year, but at some point Richo will be running in at us, and given the collapses that have plagued our season thus far, someone's really going to have to step up. Richardson is the main man for Worcs, and a real threat, and given our poor performances to Philander, Dernbach and Onions so far, that could be a real worry.
Anyway, we're currently fifth in the table, with a game in hand over three of the team above us, so let's hope we can pick up a big win this week and push up into those Champions League spots!
Onto matters Middlesex, and the 13 man squad has been named...
Chris Rogers (c)
Gareth Berg
Corey Collymore
Joe Denly
Neil Dexter
Steven Finn
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
Toby Roland-Jones
John Simpson (wk)
Andrew Strauss
Unsurprsingly, it's the 11 who took on Durham last time out, with the addition of the rested Corey Collymore, and 12th man Ollie Rayner. Chris Rogers remains as captain, and there don't seem to be any injury doubts, meaning that (perhaps Eoin Morgan aside) this is Middlesex's strongest possible squad for a four day game. (Although fans of Paul Stirling will tell you different)
As for the team that will be picked, chances are the make-up of the team will be the same. Ollie Rayner didn't play last time, and seeing as it's even less likely to spin this week, he'll probably miss out again, meaning it'll be six batsmen with the keeper at seven, followed by four seamers. Corey was rested against Durham, but he's back, and with the rotation policy that is needed for the bowlers, one of Murtagh, Roland-Jones or Berg will make way for Corey. It could be any of those three, but it won't make much difference as to who misses out, as with Finn and Collymore in (plus two others) it will be a very strong seam attack either way. The rest that whoever it is gets will be important as the season progresses, so there won't be many complaints from whoever is chosen to help Ollie mix some drinks for the four days.
As to the batting, Middlesex will really need to be on their game, especially with Wisden Cricketer of the Year, and former Middlesex favourite Alan Richardson taking the new ball. Ideally we might win a toss for the first time this year, but at some point Richo will be running in at us, and given the collapses that have plagued our season thus far, someone's really going to have to step up. Richardson is the main man for Worcs, and a real threat, and given our poor performances to Philander, Dernbach and Onions so far, that could be a real worry.
Anyway, we're currently fifth in the table, with a game in hand over three of the team above us, so let's hope we can pick up a big win this week and push up into those Champions League spots!
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Squad named for Durham game...
... and interestingly, after this news earlier this afternoon, Neil Dexter's been named in the squad (which makes my assumption that he wouldn't be look very foolish, and confirms that I know absolutely nothing about what's really going on at Middlesex!).
The 13 man squad itself is:
Chris Rogers (c)
Gareth Berg
Steven Crook
Joe Denly
Neil Dexter
Steven Finn
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
Toby Roland-Jones
John Simpson (wk)
Andrew Strauss
Corey Collymore is missing out (as predicted, I had to get something right eventually) as part of the 'rotation policy', but chances are he wouldn't have made the team either way. Gareth Berg has been struggling with a chest infection, so Steven Crook is in as cover for him, but we'll find out tomorrow morning whether he's fit to play.
From what I see, the only selection dilemma is between Neil Dexter and Ollie Rayner. We will go with four seamers (as usual), with either Crook or Berg (fitness depending) joining Murtagh, Roland-Jones and Finn, with Strauss coming into the top order. So the question is whether they go with the extra batsman (Dex) or the spinner (Rayner)?
There's a case for leaving out both. The ball hasn't spun much in this very early part of the season, and seeing as Ollie was only required to bowl six overs against Surrey, it would make sense to strengthen the batting, which has been rather shaky thus far. Conversely, with Dexter having handed over the captaincy, will he be right mentally to suddenly go and make runs? Or would the release of not being required to captain take the pressure of his shoulders and allow him to return to form?
It's a tough one, but I reckon that they'll go with Dexter. Having named him in the squad, they're going to pick him (otherwise they'd have let him slip away and play for the 2nds) so as such he may get a game. Plus, the batting needs all the strength it can get, and as handy as Ollie Rayner is, I think we'd all prefer the safety-net of Dexter at six with Simpson at seven and Berg at 8.
Whatever way Middlesex go, it'll be a tough game, as Durham are a very good team. However, they did lose their only game of the season last week to Notts, and after Sunday morning, we'll have a lot of momentum to take into the game, which will hopefully help us massively. With overcast conditions forecast, and the pitches playing quite tough so far, the toss will be massive, especially considering the damage Durham's formidable bowling attack could do if asked to field first. Hopefully Chris Roger's tossing (careful) will be better than Dexy's (0 from 2 this year) and he can help Middlesex to a second win in a row. Come on the Middle!
The 13 man squad itself is:
Chris Rogers (c)
Gareth Berg
Steven Crook
Joe Denly
Neil Dexter
Steven Finn
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
Toby Roland-Jones
John Simpson (wk)
Andrew Strauss
Corey Collymore is missing out (as predicted, I had to get something right eventually) as part of the 'rotation policy', but chances are he wouldn't have made the team either way. Gareth Berg has been struggling with a chest infection, so Steven Crook is in as cover for him, but we'll find out tomorrow morning whether he's fit to play.
From what I see, the only selection dilemma is between Neil Dexter and Ollie Rayner. We will go with four seamers (as usual), with either Crook or Berg (fitness depending) joining Murtagh, Roland-Jones and Finn, with Strauss coming into the top order. So the question is whether they go with the extra batsman (Dex) or the spinner (Rayner)?
There's a case for leaving out both. The ball hasn't spun much in this very early part of the season, and seeing as Ollie was only required to bowl six overs against Surrey, it would make sense to strengthen the batting, which has been rather shaky thus far. Conversely, with Dexter having handed over the captaincy, will he be right mentally to suddenly go and make runs? Or would the release of not being required to captain take the pressure of his shoulders and allow him to return to form?
It's a tough one, but I reckon that they'll go with Dexter. Having named him in the squad, they're going to pick him (otherwise they'd have let him slip away and play for the 2nds) so as such he may get a game. Plus, the batting needs all the strength it can get, and as handy as Ollie Rayner is, I think we'd all prefer the safety-net of Dexter at six with Simpson at seven and Berg at 8.
Whatever way Middlesex go, it'll be a tough game, as Durham are a very good team. However, they did lose their only game of the season last week to Notts, and after Sunday morning, we'll have a lot of momentum to take into the game, which will hopefully help us massively. With overcast conditions forecast, and the pitches playing quite tough so far, the toss will be massive, especially considering the damage Durham's formidable bowling attack could do if asked to field first. Hopefully Chris Roger's tossing (careful) will be better than Dexy's (0 from 2 this year) and he can help Middlesex to a second win in a row. Come on the Middle!
Monday, 16 April 2012
Squeaky bum time as Middlesex beat Surrey
Wowsers - what a game. What a match, and what a morning - a finish that will live long in the memory of Middlesex fans. With Surrey just one hit away from winning the game, Jade Dernbach lobbed one up in the air, and after a nervous few seconds of waiting, Sam Robson stepped forward from nowhere to claim the catch, and seal the victory for Middlesex, by just three runs.
A massive, massive performance from the team, all the way through the game - a game that was a brilliant advertisement for county cricket. Played on a sporting pitch that offered a bit for both bat and ball (nowhere near as bad as Surrey are making out), there were some high quality performances from both teams throughout, but it was Middlesex who held their nerve to record victory by such a narrow margin. Anyone who was at Lord's this morning will have no doubts that the county game is in rude health at the moment.
Anyway, onto the main talking points from the game - the main one being the pitch. While Adams and Hamilton-Brown do have a point that the pitch did offer a bit to the bowler (and one nameless member of the Middlesex team did tell me that it probably could have done with a little less grass), from watching three days of the game, I don't think that it was an 'unfair' pitch. Given that we're in the second week of April, and that much of the game was played with overcast skies, batting is always going to be tough, and for Surrey to come out and publicly slate it does smack of sour grapes. Both teams have to bat twice on it, and of course, if Hamilton-Brown felt it was going to deteriorate so badly he probably should have elected to bat first when he won the toss. And it was the sort of pitch that if you dig in and stick around, you can make some runs, as Malan, Robson, and Hamilton-Brown all showed. Yes, it was a low scoring game, but it wasn't 33 plays 18.
The ebb and flow of the game was superb, and again, the fight showed by Middlesex was very heartening. After Dernbach ripped through the middle order (who have now failed for a concerning fourth time in a row), Middlesex were 108-6 and in tatters, but a strong rearguard action from the patient and watchful Malan and the #lambethlara (copyright me) Murtagh, plus support from TRJ and Collymore pushed us up to 256, and two important batting points. With every run being crucial, that effort from the tail-end, for the second game in a row, was excellent. And with the ball, when Surrey looked to be on top, somehow we'd find a way of wresting back the initiative, first with Ollie Rayner getting the breakthrough with Rudolph stumped, and then the captain Dexter bringing himself on to bowl and excellent spell and take 3-23. And then of course, when Surrey were four down overnight on Saturday, Middlesex somehow managed to take the final six wickets just in the nick of time and win the game.
On a less positive note, the batting side has failed now for four innings in a row. While the top four of Robson, Denly, Rogers and Malan all seem in good nick, and have made good starts in both games, the form of the lower-middle order is becoming quite worrying. Captain Dex at 5 has made 15 runs from 4 innings so far, John Simpson's made 26, and Gareth Berg has made 20. We've collapsed in all four innings of the season, which is not a good thing at all. Berg and Simpson will both remain in the team due to the other strings to their bow (Bergy for his bowling, Simmo for his keeping), but the question is how long Dex can afford to rely on his captaincy to keep him in the team. With Strauss coming back next week there is a school of thought that Dex should drop out to make way, and looking at his form, both this season and the end of last, you can see why he's vulnerable. However, for my money, dropping the captain would be a foolish move, and you sense Dexy just needs one knock of any note just for a bit of confidence, which he looks like he's desperately lacking at the crease. As a captain this year I think he's been superb - making the right bowling changes at the right time, and getting the fields pretty much bang on (although I probably would have put a midwicket in when Maynard and Hamilton-Brown kept picking up easy singles, and I would also have had a third man in for Dernbach with only four needed and the possibility that an outside edge wins Surrey the game!), but he is in the team primarily as a batsman, so he does need some runs quickly to quieten the naysayers. Century next week please Neil!
So, with Durham starting on Thursday, and Finn and Strauss available, the question is who should they come in for - if at all? Well, if you have players of their class available they should undoubtedly come in, but working out who to drop will be a tough one. There are no obvious candidates for who should miss out, which means Gus will have a bit of a headache trying to piece together the team. Were I in charge, I'd probably drop Ollie Rayner and Corey Collymore - Ollie because we haven't needed a spinner massively in the first two games (Olls only bowled the six overs this game), and with it seaming about he's fairly redundant, so we may as well add the extra batter in Strauss - and Corey, because of it's difficult to drop any of Berg, Murtagh and TRJ, who have all excelled so far, so Corey (who it must be said has also started the season well, but not quite with that spark of the other three seamers) being the unlucky man to make way for Finn.
All of that means I'd rejig the batting order a bit, dropping Robson down to four (which is a shame as he is an excellent opener, but you do have to accommodate the England captain), meaning my team would be:
1) Denly
2) Strauss
3) Rogers
4) Robson
5) Malan
6) Dexter (c)
7) Simpson (wk)
8) Berg
9) Lara
10) Roland-Jones
11) Finn
The extra batsman just gives us that little bit of a safety net after the shakes of the middle order thus far, and that seam quartet is as strong as any that will play county cricket this year. Durham will be a tough ask, but if Middlesex can show the same amount of guts that they did this morning - anything's possible!
And if you weren't lucky enough to have been at Lord's today (or just want to relive it) - here's the highlights from Day 4!
A massive, massive performance from the team, all the way through the game - a game that was a brilliant advertisement for county cricket. Played on a sporting pitch that offered a bit for both bat and ball (nowhere near as bad as Surrey are making out), there were some high quality performances from both teams throughout, but it was Middlesex who held their nerve to record victory by such a narrow margin. Anyone who was at Lord's this morning will have no doubts that the county game is in rude health at the moment.
Anyway, onto the main talking points from the game - the main one being the pitch. While Adams and Hamilton-Brown do have a point that the pitch did offer a bit to the bowler (and one nameless member of the Middlesex team did tell me that it probably could have done with a little less grass), from watching three days of the game, I don't think that it was an 'unfair' pitch. Given that we're in the second week of April, and that much of the game was played with overcast skies, batting is always going to be tough, and for Surrey to come out and publicly slate it does smack of sour grapes. Both teams have to bat twice on it, and of course, if Hamilton-Brown felt it was going to deteriorate so badly he probably should have elected to bat first when he won the toss. And it was the sort of pitch that if you dig in and stick around, you can make some runs, as Malan, Robson, and Hamilton-Brown all showed. Yes, it was a low scoring game, but it wasn't 33 plays 18.
The ebb and flow of the game was superb, and again, the fight showed by Middlesex was very heartening. After Dernbach ripped through the middle order (who have now failed for a concerning fourth time in a row), Middlesex were 108-6 and in tatters, but a strong rearguard action from the patient and watchful Malan and the #lambethlara (copyright me) Murtagh, plus support from TRJ and Collymore pushed us up to 256, and two important batting points. With every run being crucial, that effort from the tail-end, for the second game in a row, was excellent. And with the ball, when Surrey looked to be on top, somehow we'd find a way of wresting back the initiative, first with Ollie Rayner getting the breakthrough with Rudolph stumped, and then the captain Dexter bringing himself on to bowl and excellent spell and take 3-23. And then of course, when Surrey were four down overnight on Saturday, Middlesex somehow managed to take the final six wickets just in the nick of time and win the game.
On a less positive note, the batting side has failed now for four innings in a row. While the top four of Robson, Denly, Rogers and Malan all seem in good nick, and have made good starts in both games, the form of the lower-middle order is becoming quite worrying. Captain Dex at 5 has made 15 runs from 4 innings so far, John Simpson's made 26, and Gareth Berg has made 20. We've collapsed in all four innings of the season, which is not a good thing at all. Berg and Simpson will both remain in the team due to the other strings to their bow (Bergy for his bowling, Simmo for his keeping), but the question is how long Dex can afford to rely on his captaincy to keep him in the team. With Strauss coming back next week there is a school of thought that Dex should drop out to make way, and looking at his form, both this season and the end of last, you can see why he's vulnerable. However, for my money, dropping the captain would be a foolish move, and you sense Dexy just needs one knock of any note just for a bit of confidence, which he looks like he's desperately lacking at the crease. As a captain this year I think he's been superb - making the right bowling changes at the right time, and getting the fields pretty much bang on (although I probably would have put a midwicket in when Maynard and Hamilton-Brown kept picking up easy singles, and I would also have had a third man in for Dernbach with only four needed and the possibility that an outside edge wins Surrey the game!), but he is in the team primarily as a batsman, so he does need some runs quickly to quieten the naysayers. Century next week please Neil!
So, with Durham starting on Thursday, and Finn and Strauss available, the question is who should they come in for - if at all? Well, if you have players of their class available they should undoubtedly come in, but working out who to drop will be a tough one. There are no obvious candidates for who should miss out, which means Gus will have a bit of a headache trying to piece together the team. Were I in charge, I'd probably drop Ollie Rayner and Corey Collymore - Ollie because we haven't needed a spinner massively in the first two games (Olls only bowled the six overs this game), and with it seaming about he's fairly redundant, so we may as well add the extra batter in Strauss - and Corey, because of it's difficult to drop any of Berg, Murtagh and TRJ, who have all excelled so far, so Corey (who it must be said has also started the season well, but not quite with that spark of the other three seamers) being the unlucky man to make way for Finn.
All of that means I'd rejig the batting order a bit, dropping Robson down to four (which is a shame as he is an excellent opener, but you do have to accommodate the England captain), meaning my team would be:
1) Denly
2) Strauss
3) Rogers
4) Robson
5) Malan
6) Dexter (c)
7) Simpson (wk)
8) Berg
9) Lara
10) Roland-Jones
11) Finn
The extra batsman just gives us that little bit of a safety net after the shakes of the middle order thus far, and that seam quartet is as strong as any that will play county cricket this year. Durham will be a tough ask, but if Middlesex can show the same amount of guts that they did this morning - anything's possible!
And if you weren't lucky enough to have been at Lord's today (or just want to relive it) - here's the highlights from Day 4!
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Somerset v Middlesex squads announced
So here we are, the first official squad of the season. And this is it - the 13 men chosen to valiantly represent Middlesex against Somerset at Taunton in the four day game starting tomorrow...
Neil Dexter (captain)
Gareth Berg
Corey Collymore
Steven Crook
Joe Denly
Adam London
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
Chris Rogers
Toby Roland-Jones
John Simpson
It's pretty much as expected. In fact, it's totally as expected. The twelve who took on Durham uni at the weekend are all selected, with Joe Denly added to the squad after recovering from his injury. While he wasn't fit enough to play in the uni game, he did have a bat in the abandoned game against Northampton yesterday (a game that completely flew under my radar), so I presume he's passed his fitness test and will play, probably coming in for Adam London at the top of the order.
The only other dilemma is how the bowlers will shape up. Toby Roland-Jones and Steven Crook have both had very good pre-seasons, and while I thought Corey Collymore would have been first choice, the fact that both TRJ and the Crooky Monster were picked ahead of him for the uni game suggests that they're higher up in Gus' pecking order at the moment. Gareth Berg, who didn't bowl in that game, has confirmed (via the ever reliable source of Twitter) that he's "definitely" fit to bowl, which helps the balance of the team no end, and allows us to go in with four seamers.
As the days have ticked down to this game I have become more and more pessimistic, as Somerset have a ridiculously strong batting order (Trescothick, Kieswetter, Compton, Hildreth, Buttler), and while they'll miss Alfonso Thomas at the IPL, they're being boosted by the arrival of Vernon Philander, who as we know, has had a decent start to his test career. The forecast for Taunton suggests it will be fairly overcast on all four days, with a possibility of rain on Thursday, so hopefully we'll be able to get the season off and running with a positive result. And hopefully we won't be praying for rain on Sunday afternoon!
The wait is over, we're finally back in Division One, and now let's stay there!
Neil Dexter (captain)
Gareth Berg
Corey Collymore
Steven Crook
Joe Denly
Adam London
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Ollie Rayner
Sam Robson
Chris Rogers
Toby Roland-Jones
John Simpson
It's pretty much as expected. In fact, it's totally as expected. The twelve who took on Durham uni at the weekend are all selected, with Joe Denly added to the squad after recovering from his injury. While he wasn't fit enough to play in the uni game, he did have a bat in the abandoned game against Northampton yesterday (a game that completely flew under my radar), so I presume he's passed his fitness test and will play, probably coming in for Adam London at the top of the order.
The only other dilemma is how the bowlers will shape up. Toby Roland-Jones and Steven Crook have both had very good pre-seasons, and while I thought Corey Collymore would have been first choice, the fact that both TRJ and the Crooky Monster were picked ahead of him for the uni game suggests that they're higher up in Gus' pecking order at the moment. Gareth Berg, who didn't bowl in that game, has confirmed (via the ever reliable source of Twitter) that he's "definitely" fit to bowl, which helps the balance of the team no end, and allows us to go in with four seamers.
As the days have ticked down to this game I have become more and more pessimistic, as Somerset have a ridiculously strong batting order (Trescothick, Kieswetter, Compton, Hildreth, Buttler), and while they'll miss Alfonso Thomas at the IPL, they're being boosted by the arrival of Vernon Philander, who as we know, has had a decent start to his test career. The forecast for Taunton suggests it will be fairly overcast on all four days, with a possibility of rain on Thursday, so hopefully we'll be able to get the season off and running with a positive result. And hopefully we won't be praying for rain on Sunday afternoon!
The wait is over, we're finally back in Division One, and now let's stay there!
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Pre-Season Thoughts: County Championship
As alluded to earlier, I'm going to go a little bit more in-depth in my thoughts about what the season might hold. Of course, we're still a good few months away from the season starting, and a lot could change (mainly my thoughts) but seeing as I've started this blog so early I might as well put something up on it.
I'll start off with the County Championship, where Middlesex are a Division One club. (It still feels good to say that). After last year's promotion it's goodbye Wantage Road and The County Ground, Derby and hello Trent Bridge, Edgbaston, Old Trafford and the rest. Things are going to be a little different to the last few years, namely in the quality of opposition we'll be up against. Many pundits have spoken of the widening gap between Divisions One and Two, and while there was a feeling that Middlesex were a big fish in the small pond of the second division, we're suddenly back to being mere plankton in the ocean (slight exaggeration). But the point is still the same, we're going to be up against far better teams than the previous few years in the basement; teams with a lot of international and high-level experience packed with players who are capable of some outstanding performances.
But are Middlesex good enough to take them on? Of course they are.
Middlesex were comfortably the best team in Division Two all season long, and but for some dodgy weather would have had the title wrapped up long before that final nervy day. This was a team that bowled Essex out twice in a day. This was a team that decimated the runners-up of the division home and away in comprehensive wins. This was a team that handed out the first ever 24-0 defeat in the history of the county championship. Middlesex were superb last year, and with the signings that have been made so far, have only got stronger.
In terms of the batting, Middlesex's line-up could go toe-to-toe with any in the country. The expected top five have it all. Sam Robson, Joe Denly and Chris Rogers will make up perhaps the most solid top three going, with support from Dawid Malan and captain Neil Dexter. In at six will be the still-improving John Simpson, arguably the player of the year. Add to that the all-round talents of Gareth Berg and Ollie Rayner to come, and even against the best attacks on the greenest pitches, chances are Middlesex will make a lot of runs. Taking on the better bowlers of Division One will be a challenge to the batsmen, but one they are all certainly good enough to take. There geniunely isn't a weak link in that line-up, something you can't say about quite a few of the teams around. And that isn't even accounting for the potential inclusion of England captain Andrew Strauss, or even Eoin Morgan (although that is unlikely).
The bowling stocks too are strong. While the change from the Tiflex to the Duke may not help Tim Murtagh, we all know he's good enough to take plenty of wickets when it matters. And the seam-friendly ball will certainly help Corey Collymore, who was unlucky to only pick up 49 wickets in 2011, and if he can remain fit, Toby Roland-Jones, who is a real star in the making. Everyone at Middlesex knows what Gareth Berg can do with bat and ball, and this could be the year that he shows the world just how good he is. And then there's Steven Finn, who has proven his class on every stage, and there will be plenty of Division One batsmen praying that he gets a prolonged run in the England team.
Perhaps the only concern might be spin, as neither Ollie Rayner or Tom Smith have proven themselves consistently with the ball in their relatively short first class careers. Given his extra batting ability, it's likely that Rayner will be given the nod to start off with, and he'll want to get off to a good start at his now permanent home. However, we did see the spinners used more in a containing role last year as the seamers did the damage, and as a naturally more defensive spinner, this will suit Ollie down the the ground (which is a long way for him, because he is very tall).
I'm painting an optimistic view of Middlesex's team, because I know just how strong it is. Of course, I don't want to get too ahead of myself and start talking us up to win it (although two leagues in two years would be nice), as taking on the likes of Lancashire, Durham, Notts and Somerset will be tough, and there will be games where we get battered for four days and get nothing. But, there are teams in this division that we know we are as good, if not better than. Being realistic, survival is the name of the game this year, and staying up by one point will be brilliant, but we're certainly good enough to cause a couple of upsets along the way.
Come on the Middle!
I'll start off with the County Championship, where Middlesex are a Division One club. (It still feels good to say that). After last year's promotion it's goodbye Wantage Road and The County Ground, Derby and hello Trent Bridge, Edgbaston, Old Trafford and the rest. Things are going to be a little different to the last few years, namely in the quality of opposition we'll be up against. Many pundits have spoken of the widening gap between Divisions One and Two, and while there was a feeling that Middlesex were a big fish in the small pond of the second division, we're suddenly back to being mere plankton in the ocean (slight exaggeration). But the point is still the same, we're going to be up against far better teams than the previous few years in the basement; teams with a lot of international and high-level experience packed with players who are capable of some outstanding performances.
But are Middlesex good enough to take them on? Of course they are.
Middlesex were comfortably the best team in Division Two all season long, and but for some dodgy weather would have had the title wrapped up long before that final nervy day. This was a team that bowled Essex out twice in a day. This was a team that decimated the runners-up of the division home and away in comprehensive wins. This was a team that handed out the first ever 24-0 defeat in the history of the county championship. Middlesex were superb last year, and with the signings that have been made so far, have only got stronger.
In terms of the batting, Middlesex's line-up could go toe-to-toe with any in the country. The expected top five have it all. Sam Robson, Joe Denly and Chris Rogers will make up perhaps the most solid top three going, with support from Dawid Malan and captain Neil Dexter. In at six will be the still-improving John Simpson, arguably the player of the year. Add to that the all-round talents of Gareth Berg and Ollie Rayner to come, and even against the best attacks on the greenest pitches, chances are Middlesex will make a lot of runs. Taking on the better bowlers of Division One will be a challenge to the batsmen, but one they are all certainly good enough to take. There geniunely isn't a weak link in that line-up, something you can't say about quite a few of the teams around. And that isn't even accounting for the potential inclusion of England captain Andrew Strauss, or even Eoin Morgan (although that is unlikely).
The bowling stocks too are strong. While the change from the Tiflex to the Duke may not help Tim Murtagh, we all know he's good enough to take plenty of wickets when it matters. And the seam-friendly ball will certainly help Corey Collymore, who was unlucky to only pick up 49 wickets in 2011, and if he can remain fit, Toby Roland-Jones, who is a real star in the making. Everyone at Middlesex knows what Gareth Berg can do with bat and ball, and this could be the year that he shows the world just how good he is. And then there's Steven Finn, who has proven his class on every stage, and there will be plenty of Division One batsmen praying that he gets a prolonged run in the England team.
Perhaps the only concern might be spin, as neither Ollie Rayner or Tom Smith have proven themselves consistently with the ball in their relatively short first class careers. Given his extra batting ability, it's likely that Rayner will be given the nod to start off with, and he'll want to get off to a good start at his now permanent home. However, we did see the spinners used more in a containing role last year as the seamers did the damage, and as a naturally more defensive spinner, this will suit Ollie down the the ground (which is a long way for him, because he is very tall).
I'm painting an optimistic view of Middlesex's team, because I know just how strong it is. Of course, I don't want to get too ahead of myself and start talking us up to win it (although two leagues in two years would be nice), as taking on the likes of Lancashire, Durham, Notts and Somerset will be tough, and there will be games where we get battered for four days and get nothing. But, there are teams in this division that we know we are as good, if not better than. Being realistic, survival is the name of the game this year, and staying up by one point will be brilliant, but we're certainly good enough to cause a couple of upsets along the way.
Come on the Middle!
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