MCCUs vs. Middlesex 2nd XI - Day Two

6 August 2010

Thursday dawned a better day. The rain had stopped and the covers were off. The morning session started overcast and breezy which proved perfect conditions for the MCCU opening bowlers Turnbull and Conway. Middlesex were 53-2 after 26 overs and the Universities side hoped to be at the crease by lunch. What they weren’t expecting was to still be in the field one hour after tea with only an hour left of play for the day chasing 377 with all the luck riding against them.

Another appeal is turned down Captain Jak Martin set an attacking field for the two seamers with Turnbull causing trouble from the indoor school end. If one or two decisions had gone the way of the MCCU side they may have been in a different situation at lunch, but 165-3 was less than ideal with only a day and a half left to play and forecasted rain for Friday. Daniel Housego for Middlesex was causing trouble as he found gaps on both sides of the wicket and the Universities were grateful for the break for lunch.

After lunch, the Universities started with Duncan Bradshaw’s (1-42) spin, hoping the slower pace of the ball would cause difficulties for Housego and Scott at the crease for Middlesex. However it took Loughborough’s Alex Welsh (2-76) to break the partnership in his first over from the Indoor School end with Turnbull taking a leaping catch at mid-on to dismiss Scott for 34. Welsh then struck again, taking the wicket of danger man Housego, clean bowled for 111. Housego’s wicket brought relief rather than celebration as the County side were 292-5 and the Universities were counting down the minutes till tea.

Another MCCC wicket goes down Tom Craddock (1-58) from the Pavilion end and Welsh continuing from the Indoor School end got through their overs quickly and for few runs. Craddock was keeping Smith contained through a good line outside off stump. The combined side were hoping a declaration would come at 300 to allow Middlesex time to bowl in the third session of the day allowing time for a second innings on Friday. However 300 came and went and at tea Middlesex were 311 for 5 and hoping to bat for another hour much to the disappointment of the combined side. The wicket was flat and the sun was out, turning Fenner’s into a batting track with 344 being reached quickly once seamers Turnbull and Conway returned after tea.

Middlesex finally declared at 377 for 6 at 17.25, hoping the Universities will declare tomorrow morning to give enough time for a quick turn around to get a second innings in. Ryan Bishop and Luc Durant opened for the Universities side aiming to create a solid platform in the last hour of play. Bishop batted well, scoring through around the ground, but soon saw his team-mates fall. Durant fell to Williams to a dubious LBW and was quickly followed by Martin, also LBW. Bendon survived the hat-trick ball to be shortly dismissed caught behind for a duck. At 46-3 it was not what coach Radley had hoped. There was a flurry of activity in the pavilion as magazines and sudoku were put down and pads were put on as Bishop, now the key batsman for the MCCU, was caught behind for 33.

Exclamations from the pavilion followed the lines of ‘It’s a flat bed, what is going on?!’ as the score was 46-5. Rich Moore went to the crease in the hope of steadying the ship but was quickly sent back for another duck, and Robert Taylor became the second MCCU batsman to have to see off a hat-trick ball.

It appeared all luck was against the University and a follow-on looked likely. Fortunately Taylor and Bradshaw saw the boys through until close of play with the final score for day two being 71-6. It was not the innings the university boys had planned, but judging by recent results, everyone has proved their worth batting and so all hope is not lost.