Usually, rain is an unwelcome visitor at cricket. But its fleeting appearance an hour before the start at Radlett will have gladdened the hearts of gardeners and may even have briefly distracted the odd water company executive from counting their bonuses whilst simultaneously filling rivers with unsavoury waste, half heartedly plugging leaky pipes and banning the use of hosepipes.
Whilst Ryan Higgins was missing for Middlesex, his wrist not recovered from a failed attempt to open a door with his bat, this writer is suffering from ‘watering can arm’ the primary symptoms being both a strain and a right forearm of expanding girth to resemble that of Popeye.
Middlesex won the toss and for the first time this season bowled first. Essex had won the toss and fielded here at Radlett a few days ago when Middlesex won and on winning the toss in Southampton, Middlesex batted first and were powered to victory by Josh De Caires with both bat and ball.
Although there was clearly some life in the wicket for Roland-Jones and Naavya Sharma, Zimbabwean Eddie Byrom looked solid for Glamorgan. Callum Rhys Nicholls on the other hand looked less secure and was first to go trapped in front by Sharma without scoring. From there, on the sun baked outfield, runs came freely for Byrom and Henry Hurle, anything beating the infield gathering pace to the boundary. Sharma was to strike again though with Glamorgan on 44, a rising ball finding the edge of Henry Hurle’s bat through to Cracknell and he could have had two in two had Josh De Caiers clung on the a sharp chance off Will Smale’s first ball.
The third wicket came in the next over though as Roland Jones finally found his range from the Pavilion End, the dangerous Byrom edging to Robson at second slip. Worse was soon to follow for Glamorgan when Jack Hope – Bell chipped Sharma to Roland-Jones at mid – off, the ball perhaps just holding up a little on the batsman. Glamorgan had passed 50, but had lost three wickets for seven runs and that was soon four for ten when Dan Douthwaite was grabbed by Robson off Roland-Jones for just a single and that became five for 12 when the rampant Roland Jones had Will Smale lbw. Glamorgan were now 58 for 6 with Middlesex tails firmly up and bristling.
Wickets over and over and over and over and over and over again
The carnage continued when Glamorgan keeper Horton edged Roland-Jones to Cracknell without scoring to leave his side 7 down for 57. Wickets had fallen in six consecutive overs with just 15 runs added for the loss of 6 wickets.
A brief period of relative calm ensued, but was broken when Conor O’Riordan popped up a simple chance to Aryan Sawant at square leg. Left armer Noah Cornwell had joined the wicket taking fun and Glamorgan were 66 for 8 and in his next over he doubled and then trebled his tally. Another rising ball found Romano Franco’s edge and Tom Edwards faced just one ball before falling in a similar manner, both safely taken by wicket keeper Cracknell.
Glamorgan had been rolled for just 66, ten below their previous lowest ever total against Middlesex back in1975 when Mike Selvey had grabbed five wickets at Sofia Gardens. Today, Naavya Sharma had four, there were three each for both Roland Jones and Cornwell and James Cracknell had grabbed four catches behind the stumps.
Chewing over the pitch during an early lunch
During the earlier than expected lunch, much of the discussion was around quality of the wicket with old and wise heads collectively mumbling “wait until both sides have batted on it”. To be fair on Glamorgan they are suffering something of an injury crisis that had necessitated List A debuts for seamers Conor O’Riordan and 18 year old Tom Edwards.
Within five overs they had used four bowlers in attempt to staunch the flow of runs from the bat of the in-form Josh De Caires. By the end of the 5th over, Middlesex had cruised to within 29 of their target and after six, the 50 was up and just 16 were needed. Nathan Fernandes, perhaps keen to keep pace with De Caires was caught at mid-on off the bowling of Tom Edwards, but De Caires refused to be derailed. With seven needed, he was exactly seven short of his 50. Robson wafted a wide ball to be caught behind and give Edwards his second wicket, but there were to be no glory hunting heroics and De Caires was happy to push a single for an easy win, finishing on 45.
The 8 wicket win had been wrapped up in just 9.1 overs. Middlesex sit proudly atop Group B of the Metro Bank table with three wins from three and before 2pm your writer was able to leave Radlett to start filling his watering cans.
