After my trip to Lord's last week I spent most of the next three days within eyeshot or earshot of the tv/radio commentaries on the thrilling finish to the county championship that Tony has described so well in the posting he made on Tuesday. A birthday celebration took my wife and I away from home on Friday afternoon but thanks to DAB radio we were able to listen to commentary on the closing overs, and what an excellent service TMS provided, as we drove towards Upper Teesdale. The end when it came, came of course in the most dramatic fashion with Ro-Jo's hat trick and with it the element of controversy that provided so much oxygen for conversation over the following days.
I find myself very much in agreement with Tony's last paragraph. Nobody likes joke bowling but I remember Gale and Lyth chucking up some rubbish at Scarborough a few years ago the outcome of which was a thrilling victory for Yorkshire over Gloucestershire, and what was the alternative, that Middlesex should bat the afternoon out to a tame draw thereby confirming the prejudices of the competitions opponents? Better surely that a crowd of over 10000 should have thrilling entertainment, some of whom no doubt are infrequent attenders at championship matches. Of course one feels sympathy for Somerset but that is tempered by the wicket they prepared for the game with Durham in August when forty wickets fell in two days and 17 minutes for an average innings score of 172 and only one batsman scored 50.
Sour grapes you say from a man born in the Land of The Prince Bishops and may be so but the same grouse could be made by Warwickshire for their match at Taunton a month later didn't make the fourth day and the average innings score was a shade over 145 and this time just two batsmen reached the half century.
Just two weekends left for pcws to enjoy Arthington. A reminder that The Hawks visit tomorrow and that on Sunday Doghouse will come to Wharfedale, let's hope for the sunshine of last Sunday as 'the days dwindle down to a precious few.'
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