Such is the imposing sense of history and privilege evoked by Merchant Taylors’ School that I can never resist a quick glance through its long list of alumni. Boris Karloff has horrified Guerilla Cricket readers in previous match reports, but I confess I was surprised to discover comedy actor Robin Askwith, DJ Pat Sharp and of perhaps greater historical significance, Robert Clive (Clive of India).
Unifying this unlikely trio is extreme misbehaviour or academic under achievement. Clive, described by historian William Dalrymple as an “unstable sociopath” was expelled from the school for persistent fighting. Many would argue his later life did little to improve this image. Robin Askwith allegedly was a rebellious student to the extent that he and two friends stole several rifles from the school armoury and held up Pinner post office, stealing hundreds of pounds’ worth of stamps with the intention of returning them the following week. He also persuaded a crane operator, who was carrying out work at the school, to lift the headmaster’s car onto the school roof. He was however, like Karloff, a very decent cricketer.
Pat Sharp was by no means as poorly behaved unless you count possessing a mullet that would embarrass even an Australian cricketer. He left with just one O-Level, but played in the cricket and rugby teams from which, in his own words, he picked up invaluable life skills.
Who would be sharp and who would be making the confessions of a cricketer today?
As Middlesex and Kent took the field, who, one wondered, would might claim a modern day place in Merchant Taylors’ history through either achievement or ignominy?
Both sides will be have been happy enough after Day One, although Kent perhaps more so.
They started Day 2 on 299 for 6, one short of a second batting point and hopeful that a third would follow. Having opted to bat first on a pitch that offered plenty of movement to encourage the bowlers, Zak Crawley and Sam Northeast (so often a thorn in Middlesex sides) had contributed well over half of their team’s runs. They might also reflect with satisfaction that on a day where rain had finally reappeared around the country, only Somerset had scored more runs in either division of the championship.
Middlesex for their part, knew the second new ball, just four overs away on the second morning, might provide the ammunition needed to deny Kent that third batting point. With the return of Ryan Higgins, Middlesex bat deep with Roland – Jones at 10, but there were some Middlesex fans who felt that at least one of the younger bowlers that had carried them to the One Day Cup Final might have been rewarded with a with a Championship appearance.
Higgins it was who opened the morning for the home side and as soon as Kent eased past 300 he produced a beauty with the fourth ball of the first over to find the edge of Keith Dudgeon’s bat and Kent were 7 down for 301. It could have been 8 down when Milnes edged a sharp rising ball from Helm towards first slip. Cracknell, instinctively dived across and the chance went down.
Middlesex wasted no time in taking the new ball and entrusted it to wicket taker Higgins, but the sun parched outfield continued to help speed it off the bat and Kent had moved to 338 before a Roland – Jones nip backer trapped Ekansh Singh. His second of the morning and fifth of the innings soon followed when Matt Parkinson edged him behind without scoring to leave Kent nine down and still six runs short of that third batting point, but it duly arrived with a lovely cover drive by Milnes of Ryan Higgins. That was to be it for Kent though as Matt Milnes, going well, but conscious that the final wicket could be imminent failed to connect with a ramp shot and saw his stumps rocked back by Higgins. The 32 from Milnes had been a very decent knock though.
With 350, Kent will have felt that their objective for the morning had been achieved and Middlesex knew they would have to bat at their best to gain parity. It was something of a surprise therefore, to see Luke Hollman appear as Sam Robson’s opening partner. Robson, however, was first to fall, taken in spectacular fashion at third slip by Zimbabwean Tawanda Muyeye off Matt Milnes, who after his excellent 32 with the bat was having a very productive morning. But there was not further damage before lunch for Middlesex as the Hollman, Holden partnership eased them to 47 for 1.
Double trouble for Middlesex after lunch
It was double trouble for Middlesex straight after lunch though. Following in the path of Robert Clive, Hollman and Holden were expelled in rapid order. The former tamely guiding a sharp Matt Quinn delivery into the hands of Sam Northeast at slip, the latter seeing his off stump cartwheeling as the irrepressible Milnes nipped one away. At 52 for 3 things had gone sharply in the wrong direction for the home side and worse was to follow.
Captain Leus du Plooy and Ben Geddes needed to rebuild but both were soon to fall. Geddes was hugely unlucky, having missed a pull off Matt Quinn, the ball grazed the back of his helmet and he was the victim of an umpiring decision that made the misdemeanours Clive and Asquith look tame.
Middlesex were 63 for 4 and in no time it was 63/5 when du Plooy nicked the irrepressible Matt Milness into the gloves of Benjamin. For a while, Higgins and Cracknell offered some resistance, but having made 38 and taken Middlesex to 122/6 he too edged into the gloves of Benjamin, this time off Quinn.
Higgins has so often been a saviour for Middlesex and he had looked in good touch until he shouldered arms to Milnes and lost his off stump. The ball had really nipped back, but there are, as they say, two kind of leaves and that of Higgins was very much the bad kind. Still 212 adrift of Kent, the home side were now seven down.
Magnificent Milnes bags five
Milnes was having quite a day out and it got even better when another superb delivery trapped Zafar Gohar bang in front for one and brought up his five wicket haul. Middlesex would not be enjoying their tea at 147 for 8. Toby Roland – Jones will have pondered over his cup of tea and cucumber sandwich how best to pull his side as close as possible to Kent’s score. Very much in character, this turned out to be by controlled aggression rather than defence. Along with Ethan Bosch for company he’d powered Middlesex past 200, with a 36 that included four fours and two crunching sixes. It had also taken Middlesex to within seven of avoiding the follow – on but after some lengthy repair work on his bat handle, Roland – Jones edged Ekansh Singh to Tawanda Muyeye at second slip, the bat handle shenanigans having clearly broken his concentration and the spell he was holding over Kent’s attack.
Tom Helm is a bowler than can certainly bat and not only did he and Ethan Bosch see Middlesex past the follow – on target, they went on to thump their way to a fifty run partnership, interrupted only briefly for a spell of bad light. With the home side on 249 however, one short of a batting point and bringing the lead down to 100 runs, Helm miscued his pull to leg off Matt Quinn and was superbly held by a tumbling Ekansh Singh. Bosch was not out on 43*, which was frustrating for him, but for the home crowd narrowly missing that first batting point will have been frustrating.
On this pitch, a lead of 101 looks imposing and for it Kent had to thank a fine bowling and fielding display lead by Milnes with his five and four from Matt Quinn.
Crawley falls early
With 20 overs still remaining in the day, Kent knew they would have a tricky spell to negotiate and Middlesex knew wickets were essential to keep them in the fight. It only took two balls of Roland -Jones’ first over to get one too with a superb delivery that had Crawley caught behind. Many England fans may read this a tut knowingly, but it really was a cracker of a ball to get second up. Things got worse for Kent when first innings hero Sam Northeast edged Higgins to Geddes at third slip. It should have been three when Muyeye edged into and then out of the hands of Higgins at third slip to the cries of anguish from the Middlesex faithful.
Bad light intervened for the final time after 10 overs, so as much as Middlesex will have wanted three wickets, and should have had them, Kent finished on 38 for 2, a healthy lead of 139. Middlesex will be desperate to strike early in the morning to stay in the game and the Championship Division Two promotion hunt.
As Pat Sharp used to say on Fun House, tomorrow should be “A whole lot of fun, prizes to be won!”
