21st September - County Championship: vs Middlesex (A)
Changes: Sherbourne back in for Dean. Clinton returns from injury for Marsden.
We lost the toss and were forced to bowl. From there, Strauss and Smith combined for a good opening partnership, but just before lunch we struck with three quick ones, including one with the last ball before the break. The next two sessions were frustrating, with the long Midds line-up proving hard to break through. However, after the removal of Nash and Morgan, Jones took a hat-trick to finish the innings, and keep them under 400.
We couldn't take a trick in response - nor could we hit a boundary until we were 3/50. A disciplined bowling effort thwarted our top order, and at tea on Day 2 we were 4/148. Four wickets in the next hour saw us looking down the barrel of the follow on, but Clinton's efforts with the tail saw us through to the next day, and made sure that we didn't have to bat again straight away.
Middlesex looked to be cruising at 1/123, but from there Razzak took over, and with assistance from Jones, saw a collapse leaving us with a reachable total for victory. However, the pitch wasn't getting any easier to bat on.
Chasing 332 to win, and with over an hour left on Day 3, everything was going swell until the last ball of the day, when Pearson edged a sweep to be caught at slip. This left us at 1/78, with 254 to win. The equation was simple as far as the coach was concerned - someone has to make a hundred.
Jaques unfortunately wasn't to be that man, making 64 before being trapped in front. Casey fell soonafter, but Khalid and Nethercott saw us to the break, from which we needed 180 to take the chocolates. After Khalid notched up his half century, the equation was down to only 130-odd, but he lost his wicket not long after that, leaving 6 wickets in hand. First innings hero Clinton fell for single figures, but Goddard strode to the crease with authority, and at Tea was already on 33*. With one hour and fifty minutes remaining, 74 were needed.
The Goddard show continued after the break, and by the time he was bowled on 68, out of a partnership of 104, there were only 19 runs needed for the win. Razzak and Nethercott, who played a very gritty knock, saw it through for the victory.
Despite Lancashire winning as well, our bonus points saw us one point ahead of them at the end of the season, giving us the County Championship!