Trees turning to yellow and brown, a chill in the morning air and county cricket matches starting at 10.30 in the morning, rather than the far more civilised 11 o’clock, all signal a time for reflection. As Middlesex elected to bat against Gloucestershire under belated September sunshine, they may well have been tempted to think of this fixture as what might have been, rather than simply an obligation to close out their season.
Even the scaffolding and boards enveloping the Allen Stand served to somehow emphasize the turning of the seasons and the greater change and upheaval taking place in our summer game. At least, Gubby Allen can rest knowing that the stand named in his honour will be improved and modernised, whilst not losing it’s unique and somewhat idiosyncratic character.
As with all teams just fulfilling the last fixture of their season, rather than being in sight of a championship or promotion, Middlesex will know they should not look at the most recent rain affected draws against today’s opponents Gloucestershire, Derbyshire and almost inevitably, at mid-September Old Trafford. Their focus should be on the earlier matches where they fell short, notably a mid-season run of defeats to Leicestershire, Glamorgan and Northants, the first two of whom will be playing in the Championship’s First Division next season.
Failure to achieve the season’s main goal of promotion was compounded by yet another disappointing Blast, where even the presence of Kane Williamson could not see them beyond three wins out of fourteen. A One Day Quarter Final place offset this to a degree, before the Hundred concluded and freed Liam Dawson to return for Hampshire and halt any further progress.
Williamson missing for Middlesex since The Hundred
Middlesex were without Kane Williamson today, and have been since the end of his Hundred stint. It is possible that had he been available, one of those last three draws may have been converted to the win that would have given today’s fixture more relevance. In his absence however, today’s Middlesex team had the feel of one looking towards next season. Plenty of young and emerging talent, with a solid foundation of Robson, Higgins, Roland-Jones and Gohar.
As for the morning’s play, having won the toss, Middlesex will have been the happier of the two sides. After losing both Sam Robson and Josh De Caires, captain Leus du Plooy and Luke Hollman saw them to lunch on 131/2 with no further damage and in some style too with du Plooy on 51 and Hollman on 43. Both wickets had fallen to the slingy right arm of Ajeet Singh Dale, although fortune favoured him in what had been an often wayward spell. Robson had chipped a leg stump half volley to square leg, whilst De Caires was convinced the ball had past his bat with no connection. Not, however, in the eyes, or more particularly ears of the umpire, for whom the vociferous cries of bowler Dale and his fielders will have drowned out the sound, or absence of sound, of any faint nick. On a day when all grounds up and down the country were remembering and honouring the great Dickie Bird, it was impossible not to wonder what the great man might have made of it. I rather suspect that Gloucestershire fans will have been convinced that ‘Dickie would have given it’ and Middlesex fans equally adamant that he would not.
Umpire Neil Pratt was soon into the action after lunch too. Having made his 50, Dale bowling from the Nursery End found the left handed Hollman’s inside edge and a diving Bracey scooped a fine catch. With the very next ball, Ryan Higgins was given LBW, despite being airborne in defence and struck high on the pad. On watching a replay both sets of supporters will have considered him unlucky. ‘Aye, looked not out to me, tha’ knows lad’ would have been Dickie’s verdict.
Leus du Plooy brings up a classy hundred
Having overcome that double shock and with Dale’s hat-trick averted, du Plooy continued to look classy and at ease alongside Ben Geddes. An excellent hundred for him came with the sweetest of square drives and was reflective of his innings in general. It had been chanceless and scored at a good lick too, coming off just 128 balls. It was soon followed by the arrival of Middlesex’s first batting point.
As Middlesex take stock of their season, they would do well to focus on the fact that before today, their 22 batting points rank second lowest in Division Two with only Kent’s paltry 17 being less. It has been a sadly consistent problem since their famous Championship title win nine years ago.
By tea, du Plooy and Geddes had motored Middlesex smoothly to 276/4. Geddes had reached his 50 and their partnership of 115 had put the hosts in a very strong position. Just as they had done after lunch however, Gloucestershire made a break through soon after tea, Graeme Van Buuren trapping Geddes leg before. No arguments needed for this one, but Geddes on 60 will have been disappointed not to tuck in for more.
By the time the clock had ticked around to 4.30, Gloucestershire had used no less than eight bowlers, although this was partly due to Daaryoush Ahmed’s back twinge which had cut his day short after four balls of his ninth over. As the new ball approached, the tandem spin of van Buuren and Miles Hammond arrested Middlesex progress to the point where Gloucester captain James Bracey may have been considering keeping them going. It was a temptation resisted though and come the 81st over, Matt Taylor’s left arm returned from the Pavilion End and Dale resumed pursuit of his five-fer from the Nursery End.
Whatever Gloucester served up, Leus du Plooy was equal to though and in the 85th over he glided to his 150, with James Cracknell providing sturdy support and reaching his 50 as the shadows were stretching long across the outfield.
By the close, Middlesex were approaching 400 at 394/5. A fine day’s work for them, built on three hundred partnerships the last of which, with Cracknell on 63 and star of the day Leus du Plooy on 171, will resume in the morning.
As to what Dickie Bird may have made of it all, were he to have been looking down upon the home of cricket today? “Aye, weren’t a bad day out, that. But nowt much to be playin’ for, like”.
