Middlesex v Surrey Match Thread

[guildfordbat]

First topic message reminder :

Where is JimBobGooner when you need him?

Anyway, Surrey have named a 13 man squad for their trip to Lord's - same as last time out apart from Davies replacing Burns behind the stumps.

Lovely morning here now although forecast is not encouraging.

I'll be back this afternoon.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Bad light.... I imagine that's it. Match in the balance. But certainly the last two partnerships have given us some hope.....

[chichestersurryfan]

I sneaked a peak at the radio again... 1st bowl.. Maynard dropped!!! - then off for bad light.... incredible day!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Don't go anywhere near the radio. Twice I tuned in and each time we lost a wicket first ball.....

[chichestersurryfan]

have no fear, Corporal... won't be listening tomorrow morning as I have another engagement! (hopefully mind on other things!)

What a day! - whatever the outcome, full praise to both teams and to Surrey for coming back so strongly... I lost a bit of interest earlier when I saw that Middx were 50 odd for 2.... Superb performance! (oh and sorry for wandering off topic, not bad from the Hammers too!)

Anyway who said that County Cricket was dull

[guildfordbat]

Chichester - you're not a vicar, are you?

I'm a fair bit more confident than you and the Corporal. Hyphen and Maynard are not only decent batsmen but quick scoring ones as well. Jordan and Lewis can both giive it a heave whilst Batty and even Linley won't surrender their wicket without a fight.

This time tomorrow, Rodney, we'll be top of the table ....

Meanwhile, Woking promoted to the Conference!

[chichestersurryfan]

[quote="
Meanwhile, Woking promoted to the Conference! [/quote]

Congratulations on Woking's promotion, Guildford Bat! - after difficult times... good to seem them on the up... totally off topic... as well as supporting the Hammers, I also support the Rocks.. aka Bognor Regis... another frustrating season for them on the cards... lilkely to just miss out on promotion for the second season running from the Rymans South league...

Back on topic, well sort of.... In answer to your question, no I am not a vicar but I will be at a place where vicars go to

Hamiton-Brown... superb knock by all accounts! still far from certain for tomorrow... lose an early wicket and all that and suddenly 46 seems a long way off, conversely a couple of quick boundaries and we are down to the 30's...I suppose its just having seen Middx lose their last 8 weeks for 50 odd... that is making me feel cautious!

however, well done Surrey today!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

It would be fitting if Hyphen could see us home, as that would be two matches in a row that he had put in a match winning batting performance. Not that long ago some were saying Adams was crazy to bring a completely unproven Hyphen back from Sussex to captain Surrey. But I am getting much too far ahead of myself....

[guildfordbat]

Chichester - I'll leave it to your judgment whether it's appropriate to say a prayer for Surrey in the morning.

Yes, the Cards - Woking - have done really well this season, thanks. Better luck to the Rocks next.

Hyphen's doing fantastically - more like that and international honours can't be far away.

[Shelsey93]

Hamilton-Brown has always impressed me as a cricketer (particularly one-day cricketer) from when he was at Sussex. He often batted in the top three and made some quick runs in a successful team, and has continued that at Surrey, with the burden of captaincy.

A problem might be that he seems to bowl less than he did then, but I think the press treat him unfairly in judging that "he needs to score runs to justify his place in the team" constantly and not including him in the Hales/Stokes/Buttler/Taylor/Bairstow/Borthwick/Briggs group of talented young cricketers.

[HappierSurreyFan]

Well I have one day at work without watching the cricket and I miss what appears to be the most entertaining day for a long time. What a good effoet by the bowlers to skittle Middlesex out for 106 hopefully Hyphen and Wine Gums can see us home and not leave a nervous finish for the tail enders. ANyway I'm off to the sunny climes of Edinburgh for a few days but will be watching with interest this morning.

[Dulwich_Dog]

Should be closing in on an epic victory this morning. Come on Surrey !

[guildfordbat]

''The cat is amongst the pigeons. Now genuinely in the balance.'' - the great Mark Church (regional Hall of Fame candidate ) as Dial M bowls River.

The IceMan had earlier got WineGums lbw.

38 to win. Just 4 wickets. Hyphen still there on 56 ....

[guildfordbat]

Wicket!

104-7.

Batty out lbw for a duck to Dial M.

''All the momentum has swung Middlesex's way'' - Churchy.

[Shelsey93]

Looks like a thrilling final day at Lord's. Might jettison the IPL to listen to the commentary if another wicket goes down...

[guildfordbat]

121-7.

20 to win. Lewis adding some momentum ....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Hyphen seems happy taking single off first ball of the over. It's working so far with this partnership....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Lewis rattling along

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Catastrophe- Hyphen out

[guildfordbat]

The Middlesex Hyphen (Roly-Jones) gets the Surrey Hyphen (Hamilton-Brown).

16 to win.

2 wickets left ....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

13 to win. The Viscount gets off the mark....

[guildfordbat]

11 to win. Still 2 wickets left.

The Viscount won't do anything daft ....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

11 to win. The Viscount steals the strike..

[guildfordbat]

130-9.

Viscount gone!

Enter Dernbach ....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Viscount out. Strongly recommend not taking single off first ball of the next over.....

[guildfordbat]

NO!!!! They have taken a single.

Dernbach will go for a big hit - very dangerous for both sides!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Which is exactly what happens

[guildfordbat]

6 to win!

LBW appeal turned down!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

4 to Dernbach. Do not take an ugly swipe and get caught at mid on please!!

[guildfordbat]

5 to win.

Dernbach back on strike ....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Dernbach sees out the over.....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Lewis takes single off first ball of the over....

[Shelsey93]

Middlesex win by 3 runs... Dernbach caught

[guildfordbat]

.... then Lewis takes a single and Dernbach is caught next ball!

Middlesex win by 3 runs!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

[jimbohammers]

How did you buggar that up guys? Wow

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Strongly recommend not taking single off first ball of the next over.....

[guildfordbat]

.... So far, we've conceded 18 runs in no balls and wides - that's very poor and could be costly in a low scoring game.

From my end of day one review. That proved more accurate than last night's prediction of victory.

[Carrotdude]

I've been away for a day or so, unfortunately I listened to the collapse this morning. I am absolutely devastated by that, like more than I thought I ever would be with a Surrey defeat.

What a brilliant game though, superb advert for the County Championship. In the end Surrey pay the price for not being able to finish off the Middlesex tail in the first innings and then the batsmen throwing their wickets away in our run chase - Davies and De Bruyn being the main culprits. I don't blame any of the bowlers, especially Jade, we only needed 4 and going for a boundary was his best option, he'd have only nicked behind eventually. Maybe Lewis should have kept the strike and gone for a boundary himself.

Looking at the positives, last year we were hammered twice by Middlesex and we haven't beaten them for a long long time in the CC so the fact that we should have won and were on top for a lot of the match certainly shows our progress. Also, it appears our captain Hyphen has found some form and discipline over the winter and has started the season well - who'd have thought on a seaming pitch with low scores he's be our best batsman?

The negatives - our tail is pretty pathetic, Batty and Jordan are failing to live up to their all rounder status at the moment. The biggest concern right now is Ramps. He looks completely out of sorts, still. He's been on twitter complaining about the pitch and saying how hard it is and seems more worried about that than his own game which is perhaps why he's looking so poor. I honestly think that right now Roy might be a decent bet instead of him as at least he would play some shots and get some runs before he gets out rather than take 50 balls to get 5.

Our batting needs strengthening, that much is clear from the first two games. I, personally, would drop Jordan in favour of Roy. We don't need the extra bowler, especially if the Brain is going to continue to open the bowling (which I don't agree with btw). Either way, an attack of Linley/Meaker, Lewis, Dernbach, Brain and Batty is enough and we need to get more runs in the side.

To summarise - I'm gutted right now but we are still a work in progress and have done better this season so far than I thought we would.

[Carrotdude]

Also, we can go on about us buggering it up in the run chase but Middlesex fans will be saying the same thing about them yesterday being all out for 106, it wasn't an easy pitch!

[Dulwich_Dog]

No, no no !!!!

[Carrotdude]

3 runs

[Corporalhumblebucket]

I really do think it was lunacy taking single off the first ball of the over if you are well set and scoring freely (Lewis) and if you've got Dernbach at the other end. With four to win a single in any case isn't all that helpful when the chances are that if we win it will be with a boundary from one of the six balls in that over.

[chichestersurryfan]

[quote="guildfordbat"]Chichester - I'll leave it to your judgment whether it's appropriate to say a prayer for Surrey in the morning.

Been out and just back in to see what I've missed!

Just read all the excellent posts above.... absolutely gutted just to miss out but as others have said, compared with last season against Middx we've done well... last season there was a yawning chasm between the 2 teams... same can't be said now... as with these sorts of close finishes... lots of if only's and what if's.... as has been said, the biggest failing was to finish the Middx tail off in the 1st innings...

In answer to Guildford Bat's question, we could start a theological debate as to whether God favours Surrey or Miidx

anyway I don't think my nerves could have stood the tension this morning.. not good in these situations!

Anyway, roll on the next game

[Corporalhumblebucket]

In answer to Guildford Bat's question, we could start a theological debate as to whether God favours Surrey or Miidx

I fear the answer may be Middlesex, since they play at Lords, in St John's Wood.

[LOVERBOY]

Truth is guys,we held our nerve,whilst The Rey bottled it and not for the first time.
Pathetic Whinging from 'The Grizzler' as per usual,'put us in ,so bowled last, and having a moan about a sporting wicket which produced a fine match which flowed back and forth.
Looks like 'The Middle'for the title,and youse Sarf Lundun boys fighting to avoid the drop.
With Straussy,Finny and Morg back well be unstoppable!!!!!!!

[Carrotdude]

I don't agree with Adam's 'blaming' the pitch for the defeat but I do think that it must have been a very poor pitch to produce a day 3 of 19(?) wickets and 240 all out as a combined total for both final innings.

I also think that if we bottled it on Sunday (which is fair enough), Middlesex did the same on Saturday after being in a strong position. Your confidence, while very possibly being an attempt to wind up us Surrey boys, I feel is misplaced. Strauss, Finn and Morgan won't play too much and your batting appears to be very brittle, although the bowling is very good. I think we'll both end up pretty close to each other somewhere about half way in the table.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Agree we bottled it on Sunday, combined with reckless approach to exposing the weaker batsmen to most of the strike at the end of the innings.

[LOVERBOY]

Well from someone who was actually there on all four days,apart from being a bit soft which is understandable at this time of year(it is still April)there was nothing wrong with the pitch .The umpires marked it highly.The cloudy and overcast conditions meant that the ball did swing about quite alot most of the time and combined with batsman'a inability to cope with this, and being unacustomed to the new Dukes ball,scores were below par.Outstanding seam bowling from both sides contributed to the early finish,but blaming The Groundsman serves only to emphasise Adam's misunderstanding of the game.

[Dulwich_Dog]

Hmm... not sure Grizzly would have been whingeing about the quality of the wicket if we'd got a few more runs. Think it was the same wicket for both sides coach.