Hurricane Pedro strikes!

Day One: Middlesex v Surrey at Lords

Well, I’m fair-minded enough to give credit where it’s due. I might not like the fact that Surrey have been ground down into the hallowed Lords turf for virtually nothing, but you can’t really argue with the score. And I do like seeing the ex-Surrey lads doing well...I still feel a little sad that the likes of Jon Batty and Scott Newman are gone, even although I can sort of see why the decisions were made. All the same, as a biased Surrey supporter I have to admit I prefer it when they do well against some other team.

We received word from a small Rampant party at the ground that a certain Jean of our acquaintance had her picture taken with Mr Ramprakash this morning! I know this will have made her day totally, so a big thank you to Ramps for taking the time to do that. She’ll be floating on air! I’m not sure we will get her down again in time for the September Oval meet-up!

In terms of the game, I checked the scores at lunch break only to see 80-4 staring me in the face! It was fair to say my jaw dropped a little. I wasn’t expecting a Northants-style massacre and reckoned we might be one or two down, but four??? It took me a few minutes to pluck up the courage to see who had gone, so it was with much relief that I saw Ramps was still in on 21. As usual, you felt that whilst he was still there perhaps there was a chance of pulling something out the bag.

Unfortunately for Surrey, it looks like hurricane Pedro turned up today and uprooted the Surrey batters as if they had been trees caught in the eye of a storm. Ramps perished for 44, although this has taken him to 1281 runs for the season, comfortably ahead of all others at the moment. Fingers crossed Surrey manage to stick around in the second innings, because the way Middlesex are batting the best they might expect is a draw. Ramps is well used to batting a long time to save the day: it may just be tailor-made for him to add a few more to his tally.

The fact Mr R top scored with 44 sort of gives you an idea what the rest of the individual tallies were like for Surrey. Davies, a brilliant opener in the shorter game but perhaps not as effective in this position for the championship, was bowled by former Surrey man Murtagh for 24, whilst Lancefield was lbw for 15 to Pedro Collins. The Surrey rejects have done rather well today! Worse was to follow when the skipper went for a first ball duck, and although I would never dream of criticising a captain’s decisions (which are made at that particular moment) I do wonder if RHB may be regretting the decision to bat first.

Afzaal’s misery with the bat continues: it’s a real shame to see him struggle for runs. Every batsman will hit a sticky patch now and again but his quest to play himself into some form has been somewhat protracted. Today he went for 11. I’m sure various persons will start to call for his head again. It’s a tough life sometimes, being a sportsman. Not that I would know about that. My idea of sport at school was to hide behind the hut during cross-country running for nine circuits and then join in again on the tenth, as fresh as a daisy...

Back to the cricket, although it really doesn’t make for pretty reading. Walters went for 14. No doubt the same people looking for Afzaal’s hide will be gunning for him as well.

Spriegel was the next highest scorer to Ramps with 25. I had hoped he would have come in when Ramps was still there: the two of them seem to work very well together, but it was not to be. Batty made 15, Tremlett 2, Dernbach 12 and Linley was not out for naught (which doesn’t sound right when you say it in your head). It was a somewhat confused performance considering what has gone on in recent weeks, although Dernbach and Linley have to be excused to an extent on account of their recent injuries. It appears that some of the Middlesex bowling was inspired, whilst some of the shots the Surrey batsmen got out to were less so...

With only 167 – yes, that isn’t a typo – on the board it only took until the end of play for Middlesex to surpass it. Two wickets went: Newman for 54, just as he was looking set in concrete, and Simpson for 36. Malan, who I like a lot, has made 35no and Shah is also at the crease, who on his day is a wonderful batsman. If I’m honest he isn’t one of my favourites, but I bet now I’ve typed that he ends up at Surrey replacing Afzaal...

I did enjoy the fivesome (that’s commentary wise before anyone says anything) with Johnny Barran, Mark Church, Dave Townsend, Iain O’Brien and Kevin Hand. I haven’t heard Mr Townsend in an age, so much that I had actually forgotten what he sounded like. I soon remembered, however.

Btw, I meant that in a good way! Anyone who admires Ramps is welcome to share a sponge cake with us, any day. As he quite rightly pointed out he’s pretty darned fit for a man of his age!

That was Ramps, not Mr Townsend.

Ah, now it’s time for Miah’s ‘positivity corner’:

1)Ramps top scored today
2)Ramps passed 34,500 first class runs
3)We might get to hear Andre Nel in the commentary box tomorrow! Nel v Townsend sounds like it might be interesting! My money’s on Andre, btw...
4)Pedro Collins did really well! No, wait...that was a year later than we wanted!

Oh well! Still a lot of cricket to be played and we need Surrey to get their heads down and show the sort of character they have in the last three championship games. I’m looking for the positives as always, and whilst from a Surrey point of view there weren’t many, at least Dave Townsend had something to chortle about at the end!

Best of luck tomorrow Surrey. Give it your best shot, lads!