All in the stars

Now I remember why I leave for work at 6.50am each day. Getting on the bus at 9.30am when the bus is full of screaming children being taken to nursery is not pleasant. Not that I have anything against children: I must have done a bit of screaming myself at that age. But it doesn’t make for a peaceful start to the morning! I bypassed the Orks today and went shopping with mum. Unfortunately I broke my promise never to buy a pair of jeggings: I’m pretty sure it’s not a look that suits ladies over size 12. You’d never think I had a diploma in fashion!

I did get back in time to hear most of today’s game, and it was very interesting indeed! Obviously it was a tad disappointing when Ramps was bowled for 21 (most of the Rampants listening were fairly genteel although I shan’t repeat the phrase used by Jan!), but the game has at least moved on now. And I guess it needed to given the loss of the whole of yesterday. Davies played well, riding his luck at times but top scoring with 62. Walters again got his head down and made a timely 45. The rest more or less were similar in terms of scores, with RHB, Ramps, Harinath and Tremlett all hitting 20s. Lancefield hit a well crafted 37, Spriegel a slightly more cameo 1, Batty 19 and Dernbach...a somewhat deflating first ball duck.

Sussex did bowl well, however. Arafat pick up a fivefer and Panesar also claimed 4 scalps. The plan of the day seemed to lie with frustrating and stifling Surrey’s runs, which did work in the morning session, but as with the Sussex first innings the tail began to wag a little in the afternoon. If the pattern repeats itself Surrey will have hopes of bowling Sussex out quickly: time to wheel out South London’s very own Sherman Tank in the shape of Tremlett, methinks!

The chase by Sussex of the Surrey 75 run lead started positively, but Meaker claimed Nash for 22 and night watchman Panesar for a third ball duck, leaving Thornley on 0 and Joyce on 16no at stumps. I bet Meaker was miffed that the game had to stop, as he had got in to a lovely rhythm. I hope he can continue tomorrow, as I am back to work and no doubt up to my eyes in genealogical records again. It’s been a nice mid-week break but much as I love my job, all that it’s achieved is to make me want more time off! Oh well, London in a few weeks. * gulp *

Now for something completely different.

Harinath: Aries
Lancefield: Libra
Ramprakash: Virgo
Davies: Gemini
Hamilton-Brown: Virgo
Walters: Cancer
Spriegel: Pisces
Batty: Libra
Meaker: Aquarius
Tremlett: Virgo
Dernbach: Pisces

This was the composition of today’s squad. Does this prove that Virgos are the star attractions when it comes to cricket?