Swings and roundabouts

Surrey v Northants day 3

I may have to cut this report a tad short. I’m informed there’s a rogue wasp loose in the house.

Whilst I’m not as phobic as my sister when it comes to the nasty, striped, pointy ended barstewards (I don’t tend to turn into gibbering, high-pitched version of Beaker from the Muppets, arms flailing like a human windmill) I can’t say they’re my favourite things in the world. And the fact there’s one hiding in a corner somewhere waiting to get me is making me distinctly nervous.

Anyway, the story so far.

You will recall that the ping-pong like nature of yesterday’s play had meant that both Surrey and Northants appeared to have periods when each side got their snouts in front. Well, the same thing happened today with perplexing regularity. I’m still confused as to where this one is heading. An awful lot is going to depend on how long de Bruyn (or Reg) sticks around in the morning and how quickly he scores. It’s going to be a tricky balancing act; take too long and the game will dwindle to a draw. Undercook it and suddenly Northants will be chasing down that target like an avenging angel...

Middlebrook proved himself utterly obdurate in the face of reasonably decent Surrey bowling; probably now earning the title of the tail ender you would least like to face at the death. It took an absolute age to shift Hall courtesy of Gareth Batty, and by then the worst of the damage had been done. The Surrey lead was whittled down, then equalled, and then surpassed with rapidity. And just when you expected the next two to capitulate, both Lucas and Daggett refused to fall on their swords! Lucas did eventually go, and then finally Middlebrook (who had reached a well deserved century en route) succumbed for 103 just a few balls before lunch.

Hats off to them for making this game an interesting one if nothing else.

The opening partnership of Brown and Wilson finally had the chance to show what they could do by way of reply, and I think it potentially could be a good one for Surrey long-term. Brown put a relatively good total on the board before perishing for 46, but at least he will take a small amount of satisfaction with the way he batted. Wilson too got into the forties before being undone by a rather wicked googly. Are you seeing a pattern here? Remember the case of thirty-itus that struck down the batsmen on day one? Well, with the exception of Davies who sadly managed only a score of 11 in the second innings, each wicket that fell went in the forties (the skipper making 41). If de Bruyn makes 45 tomorrow or thereabouts you’ll know somebody has hexed us...

So, there you have it. The old cliché about the game being ‘delicately poised’ was never more true than in this instance. Surrey still have batting to come, but if things get sticky and de Bruyn falls cheaply you’d have to fancy Northants for the win, as the total they would be chasing probably wouldn’t be nearly enough. A score of 260 or thereabouts might at least give Surrey a chance of bowling Northants out, or at the least securing a draw, but anything less and it’s probably ‘Goodnight Vienna!’

With its many twists and turns, Deirdre would have loved this game! But I can’t help but feel she’d have loved it more were it to twist in Surrey’s favour!

Surrey v Northants: Day 2

Don’t. Start. Me.

I’ve had it up to my neck with all the anti-Grand National idiots that conveniently come out the woodwork whenever a horse meets a regrettable end in the race. So, this is a blog post about cricket, and about the National, as I spent the day tying myself in knots trying to listen to both!

I go back a long way with the National. I’ve loved it since I was four. My enthusiasm for this historic sporting event is therefore unwavering, and I and have locked horns with people defending it. And will continue to do so.

I'm always sorry when horses are killed - I love horses (they are very noble animals). What gets my goat is when people single out the 'National for vitriol...I mean, if people think horse racing in general is cruel then okay: it's not a view I share but I can understand that line of thought. Picking on the 'National because it's so high profile is idiotic in my opinion. Horses tragically die every day at race courses but it gets no attention because few people watch racing on TV any more. But the world and his wife tune in for Aintree, and when fatalities sadly occur everybody's walking about with placards and banners.

There are aspects of racing I'm not so keen on - I wish that more money was donated from betting to go to equine welfare - and it took the rather high profile and sad case of my favourite ever racehorse to have the law made more favourable in that regard. But horses, whilst they are in training, live like absolute kings in 5 star accommodation. Some sadly have their lives cut short, but they'll have had a damn good life up to that unfortunate point! Most are better looked after than some people in this country. And the more vehement protesters who say that races like the 'national are cruel and liken it to out dated blood sports like bull fighting are missing one very obvious point: the object of horse racing is not to kill the horse. In bull fighting it is.

My issues with horse racing, such as they are, stem from what happens to the animals after their racing days are over. More care ought to be taken on that front.

I think I've always loved the 'National because it seems a bit like a metaphor for life: you get the best and the worst things reflected in it. Such wonderful, fabulous tales that you could sometimes not make up in fairy stories! And, alas, the more tragic side as well.

Sorry for rambling. I've had it with the drum beating, ill-informed people on Twitter who never look at the facts before opening their rather ridiculous mouths and sprouting nothing but nonsense.

It’s a good thing I had the cricket before and after the race to calm things down! Day two of Surrey versus Northants continued to swing in favour of first one team and then back to the other, and so on, to the extent where I now have not got the slightest clue as to who if anyone is going to come out on top! You would have been tempted (pre-Grand National) to say that it was Surrey’s day, because after a rather slow first hour things suddenly started to happen for the bowling side. Linley should be upgraded from Viscount to Duke if you ask me for his hard won fourfer. Absolutely brilliant! And, just when little annoying (from a Surrey p.o.v) partnerships threatened to spring up – for example White with a very respectable 78 – in stepped Linley to nip it in the bud. Having taken the first wicket for Surrey last year it came as no surprise that he should do so again today.

There were two wickets for Gareth Batty, and one for Meaker who memorably turned poor Sales into his Bunny by doing unto him exactly what he did last time he faced him, bowling him for a duck. I can’t see Sales being overly keen to face Meaker in the next Northants innings somehow...

With eight wickets down it seemed only a matter of time before either Middlebrook, who I rate highly, or Hall, managed to get out and so I switched my attention to the National expecting to find Surrey batting again when I came back. Not only was Surrey not batting, having come back to the game an hour later, but Middlebrook and Hall were still there! And all credit to them as well for sticking in so obdurately when it looked as if Northants were going to be swept away on a Linley shaped wave.

Tomorrow’s going to be crucial for both teams. Surrey have to get rid of this turbulent partnership double-quick, to paraphrase Henry the 2nd (although hopefully not using swords, cudgels and other pointy things). And more than anything, when they bat next the boys will have to stick in and not give their wickets away like most of their batsmen did first time round. Defeat in the first game should be unthinkable. Because I don’t think Chris Adams will be in the mood to accept anything but a win!

You think that ‘National is violent? Wait until you see the reviews in the papers if Surrey fails to deliver yet again. It’ll be a field day...