Rain prevents Middlesex in draw with Glamorgan

Middlesex 410 (Robson 107, Stirling 138) and 125-4 drew with Glamorgan 288 (Finn 5-75)

Story of the game: Glamorgan insert in prime bowling conditions but in 51 overs on day one only take three wickets. Middlesex get the best batting conditions on sunny day two and Stirling makes his first first-class century in two years. Missed chances allow Glamorgan to scrape past the follow-on target, eight wickets down. Middlesex were aiming to set Glamorgan 280 in 55 overs but rain mid-afternoon ended the game.

Reflections

One: It was the first first-class game at the ground, home of Middlesex’s 2^ndXI, although the first team has played seven, and won five, white-ball matches here. Middlesex have a fine record at Radlett – of the 40 second XI games, only five have been lost. The temporary road signs proclaimed it a ‘Middlesex Cricket Event’. When the sun shone, the ground looked radiant, the stewards greeted you with a smile, and everyone seemed pleased to have you there. It was a shame so few came, put off by the weather – the highest daily attendance was 614, on Monday, the sunniest day.

Two: The ground staff removed 2,500 gallons of water from the square between Thursday and 3pm on Sunday, when the game made a belated day-one start. The pitch they had prepared was praised by both sides. It offered something to everyone: pace, bounce, spin, and with the ball coming onto the bat and, with the boundaries of a club ground never vast, the batsmen were looked after as well.

Three: On his day, Steve Finn is a formidable bowler, and having played some second eleven cricket to, as he admitted, gain ‘rhythm and confidence’ he looked akin to the Finn of old. He said at the close of the third day that he had “felt in pretty good rhythm”. But that he was “still getting there – I’m still finding my feet again as I haven’t played a lot of cricket in the last 18 months or so and had two knee surgeries in that time. But I feel like I’m back. My knee is now 100% normal and the rest of my body is just getting up to speed.” With Toby Roland-Jones yet to hit his stride following his own return from serious injury, a resurgent Finn will be welcome for a bowling attack overly reliant thus far on Murtagh and Helm.

Four: No wonder one of the questions from the BBC Wales journo to Marnus Labuschagne was how many games the Australian overseas pro has left in the championship. (The answer is four.) He is the leading scorer in Division 2, and in this game was also Glamorgan’s leading wicket taker and took a superb diving catch in the covers to dismiss Eskinazi. He has been an excellent overseas acquisition and they will feel the draft when he leaves.

Five: Two youngsters milling about by the main gate, well, gazebo tunnel, one with bat, t’other with autograph book. The latter, face all eager anticipation, enthused: “I want to get some players’ autographs.” To which his youthful compatriot replied: “I don’t”. “Why not?” “One of the players is my father.”

Six: An advertising hoarding at long leg became adrift in the middle such that its message now read ‘sex cricket’. Well that is one way to try to get mothers and children into the game, albeit a medium-term plan – well nine months at least.

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