No Knickers Twisted

Middlesex 270 all out
beat Yorkshire 390 all out
Middlesex 359-6 declared
Yorkshire 178 all out
by 61 runs

County Championship Division 1
Played at Lord's

Friday 23 September 2016

twitter @ball_sup

Some declaration buffet bowling from Lyth & Lees in that lot. Modern life. Plenty to get your knickers in a twist about. The ECB not letting Bairstow (in particular) play. Rashid asking to be left out. Run chases we didn't go for. Bonus Points we stuffed up. Head & Lehmann dragged away. Result wickets at Taunton.

Best plan. Let it all slide. Let Gale & the other fella sort it out. Eleven plays eleven. Last season, it felt like we were dominant. Previous season, it felt like we were the breakthrough team. This season, it's felt like we've been behind it most of the time. We had our chance to win when we had them reeling at 2 for 2 yesterday.

This morning, when I woke up, I just thought “let's see if we're good enough”. No harm in missing out on the Champo because you're not good enough. That's the game. Yorkshire couldn't get anything rolling. Even with the new ball. Gale was off & on. Calling impromptu drinks breaks. Animated discussions out there (Ballance calling some shots). All that is very difficult for Middlesex. I'm assuming Gale has inserted a We're Blazing clause. Give us a target. We're going for it. One through eleven. This shop is not shutting up.

That's the only way to do it really. If we don't win, you will. Could seem harsh on Somerset. But, they've got to look after their end of the operation. We'll look after ours. I have to say, chasing 240 off 40, I thought we'd do it. But, the numbers get you in the end. Yorkshire swung for the fences all the way down. Few straight 'uns. The title goes to Middlesex.

Bits of it seem unedifying. Gale off n on. Buffet bowling. Swinging away when the draw is there. But, I can't get my knickers in a twist. Well done The Middle.

And, that's it for Gillespie. World turns. Everyone has a shelf life. Teams come & go. Things have a cycle. It's a results based industry & he's stacked them up. I'm genuinely not sure what he does & how. It's sort of setting the right environment isn't it? Set it up so that players know what their role is. Set it up so they feel comfortable aiming for that. Don't mither them too much if they hiccough a little along the way. Isn't it? Please tell me it's not just putting the cones out.

My head says have some stability. We know Gillespie is gone. So, now is NOT the time for Gale & Own Sword mishap. Sidebottom has signed. Good. Let's keep the nucleus & introduce if we have to. Although, I have to say, if it's New Broom, then so be it.

We've got a self-captaining team. I don't really mind who the new coach is. Small nudges on the tiller. If not broke, do not fix.

The Lord's Beer Festival “sold out of beer” ish. But, that's the opposite of Gale's Blazing Clause. As the game rattled towards Friday. As punters drifted off home. Or, perish the thought, the Stands. They just didn't replace. The shop did shut up. Again, has to be that way. I've already Blogged it. But, a range & variety of Beers is as good as it gets in these circumstances. Salute.

I'd done my prep. Who knew how the day might unfold? Get the beers in. Medicinal of course.

Brakspear, Bitter on cask in the Bowler’s Bar at 3.4%.
And, cans of
Moor Beer Company, Pale Modern Ale at 5.3%
Magic Rock, Rapture Red Hop Ale at 4.6%
Beavertown, Lupuloid IPA at 6.7%

Nerve calming, celebrating, livening up, you decide.

380/794