County Championship 2023. Division 1. Middlesex v Somerset. 18^th,19^th and 20^th May. Lord’s.

Middlesex. M.D. Stoneman, S.D. Robson, S.S. Eskinazi, M.D.E. Holden, R.G. White, J.A. Simpson (w), R.F. Higgins, L.B.K. Hollman, T.S. Roland-Jones (c), E.R. Bamber, T.J. Murtagh.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.M. Davies, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory, C. Overton, M.J. Henry, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach.

Overnight. Somerset 325 for 6.

Second day 19^th May – A consummate performance

This was the day on which everything finally came together for Somerset. Northamptonshire had been outplayed at Taunton, but they had produced a sterling defensive performance to bat through the final day and escaped with a draw. At Old Trafford, Somerset had edged Lancashire, but in the end, the teams fought each other to a standstill, and the game petered out into the tamest of draws. Here, with still two full days to play and a settled forecast, by the end of the day, Somerset found themselves poised to win for the first time this season. It was a consummate performance.

The day began with another large group of schoolchildren in the Grandstand and the constant high-pitched backdrop of playground chatter and cheering for Middlesex successes which they had brought with them. The future of cricket is a noisy one. They were soon cheering the fall of Craig Overton for three, leg before wicket to Tim Murtagh, as Somerset resumed their innings. “That one jagged back, the ball is seaming,” the message from the cricketer watching online. Somerset 328 for 7, 72 short of the 400 most Somerset supporters were hoping for. The wicket brought Matt Henry to the crease to join Lewis Gregory. They all but settled the issue. They added 61 runs in nine overs of pulsating, attacking batting, primarily from Henry who, in only his second match for Somerset is already gaining a reputation among supporters for playing the sort of short, buccaneering innings that are part of Somerset’s long history.

Henry established his intent when he drove his second ball, from Murtagh, straight back to the Pavilion for four. In his next over he drove Murtagh straight for three and through extra cover to the Mound Stand for four. Three times in an over, he struck Roland-Jones for four, once with a straight drive, and twice through the leg side, once with the sharpest of clips, square to the Grandstand to bring up Somerset’s 350 and their third bonus point. The applause and cheers from Somerset supporters were exultant under high, white cloud, perfect for batting. Pushing Somerset on towards 400, Henry resumed his attack on the leg side, pulling Roland-Jones to the Tavern Stand and Bamber, who had replaced Murtagh, to the meeting point of the Grandstand and Warner Stands. Such batting of course has its term and an attempt to hook Higgins resulted in a top edge which flew to fine leg to be caught by Bamber. Henry had added a run-a-minute 40 from 23 balls to Somerset’s score and taken them to within 11 runs of what for much of the innings had seemed an unlikely fourth batting point. He walked off to extended applause and a large collection of smiling Somerset faces.  

Gregory meanwhile had not been idle. He had played a more passive but crucial anchoring role, playing out maidens to both Murtagh and Roland-Jones, but also adding 17 carefully crafted runs to Somerset’s growing total. Gregory belied his reputation for playing swashbuckling innings as he supplied the glue in the partnership with Henry as they took Somerset towards 400.

But after the loss of Henry, 11 runs remained to be gathered. The search for those 11 runs brought a mixture of instant derring-do from Jack Leach and patience from Gregory and Peter Siddle. There were loud cheers from Somerset supporters as Leach took them to within two with successive powerful drives off Higgins, one straight to the Pavilion, the other through the on side to where the Warner Stand and Grandstand meet. The cheers though turned to an anxious silence when Leach was bowled by Bamber trying to cut as hard as he had driven in an attempt to take Somerset over the line. When last man Peter Siddle pushed Bamber into the covers for a single to nervous applause, Somerset needed one. When he drove Higgins hard into the covers the cover fielder dived, got enough of his hand to the ball to divert it to mid-off and the throw just missed the stumps as Siddle raced through the crease. It was impossible to tell from the Compton Stand whether Siddle would have made his ground had the ball struck, but Somerset had their batting point, and all the tension was forgotten as their supporters breathed a huge cheer of relief.

Gregory’s two-hour sojourn finally ended on 42 when he was caught down the leg side off Higgins having declined a single off the previous ball and Somerset walked off with 404 runs safely lodged on the board. There had been movement on the first day when the long partnership between Abell and Bartlett may yet prove to have been crucial, but despite the reports from the online watcher batting looked easier on the second day. Even so, the Somerset supporters I spoke to, and the faces of those I didn’t, all suggested satisfaction with Somerset’s performance, especially after they had been put in and lost their first two wickets for ten runs. “Middlesex will have to bat well to match that,” the general view. That view was reinforced when it was mentioned that the Somerset attack consisted of four Test match bowlers and one international bowler together with a team that, one or two instances apart, excels in catching.

Middlesex began their innings with ten overs to survive, or exploit, before lunch. They chose survival. Not a single boundary came off the bat as Overton and Henry charged in. Both Mark Stoneman and Sam Robson were beaten in the first over from Henry, bowling from the Nursery End to four slips. My notes repeatedly record bats being beaten during those ten overs, particularly by Henry who is proving a real asset to Somerset. Against those beaten bats, 23 runs were scored, four of them leg byes and three off a thick edge. By the penultimate over of the morning, it looked as if Middlesex would survive. But then the ever-persistent Henry, batting against him must be like trying to fend off a constantly darting wasp, finally broke through. Stoneman was bowled to shouts of, “Yes!” from the Somerset support around me. “Yes!” again when off Henry’s next ball Stevie Eskinazi edged between Davies and first slip and Davies took off and pouched the catch. A maiden from Overton took Middlesex to lunch on 23 for 2 with Henry contemplating a hat trick.

A lunchtime buzz of satisfaction among Somerset supporters and a cold calculation noting the near mirror image between the start of the Middlesex and Somerset innings was met with a post-lunch change in approach from Middlesex. Henry beat Robson with his first ball, but the hat trick was not to be. Gregory opened from the Pavilion End with Henry and conceded 11 runs from his first over, the left-handed Max Holden pulling him to the Grandstand, and twice driving him through the covers for two in the process. There was decidedly more intent in the Middlesex batting as Holden followed his assault on Gregory by striking Henry for two fours through the off side, the schoolchildren in the Grandstand roaring their approval as the ball crossed the rope in front of them. In two and a half overs, Middlesex more than doubled their score but when Holden left a ball from Henry it cut back marginally, and he was out leg before wicket for 17. It was a classic seam bowler’s ball which left the batter with no safe option.

An over later, Gregory bowled the version of the ball designed for the right-hander to the newly arrived Robbie White. White came forward in defence, was beaten past the inside edge and the ball struck the pad in front of middle stump. Perhaps the online watcher had a point. Middlesex were 49 for 4. White nought. Somerset supporters could be seen with arms held jubilantly aloft for the second time in successive overs. They were aloft again when Robson swung around and tried to guide a short ball from Gregory behind square, found the faintest of touches and Davies took the catch down the leg side. Middlesex 70 for 5. Robson 28.

And then, Somerset’s Middlesex nemesis, John Simpson arrived at the crease. Like Chris Read, late of Nottinghamshire, he has been a persistent thorn in Somerset’s side with the bat over the years. He did not disappoint here. Batting with Ryan Higgins, he began what looked, and proved to be, a forlorn attempt to repair the Middlesex innings. In my experience of Somerset suffering at the hands of the left-handed Simpson, his style when Middlesex are in trouble is to counterattack. At first, he played true to type. As always, when the ball is moving a little, counterattacks rely on luck as well as grit. A cover drive to the Grandstand off Overton brought four runs, but twice in succession against Overton, a defensive stroke produced an edge. The first passed inside the fine gully fielder, the second outside. Both ran to and across the Warner Stand boundary.

Higgins meanwhile took eight of 12 runs scored from Siddle’s first over after he replaced Gregory at the Pavilion End, a classic on drive to the Tavern Stand to the fore. Middlesex were now scoring at four runs an over despite the slow start to their innings, but the size of their task was starkly seen when a calculation put them still over 300 runs behind. Breaking through the animated chatter coming from most of the crowd which, from a Middlesex perspective, seemed to ignore the state of the game, a cry of, “Hooray!” came from some Somerset supporters when, for the first time, the words, “From the Nursery End – Jack Leach,” were heard from the public address system. Simpson’s greeting was to drive Leach straight back past the stumps to the Nursery End for four. Leach’s riposte was to go straight through a slog sweep from Higgins, strike him on the pads and persuade the umpire to raise his finger. More cheers, louder still than those that had gone before. Middlesex 117 for 6. Deficit 287. Higgins 17. It was one of those leg before wicket shouts that looks out from whatever angle you are watching. The instantaneous appeal, the position and body language of the batter, the certainty in the shout. It just looked, felt and sounded out.

The new batter, the left-handed Luke Hollman, following Middlesex’s aggressive batting policy, reverse swept Leach low, but straight into the hands of Tom Kohler-Cadmore at slip. More cheers. There were a few chuckles too, for it looked for all the world as if the reverse sweep sought out Kohler-Cadmore’s hands. At 119 for 7, Hollman nought, the Middlesex counterattack looked to have spent itself and Somerset looked unstoppable. Roland-Jones though joined Simpson and immediately played with intent.

He targeted the returning Henry and Leach with a succession of lofted drives through the arc between mid-on and mid-off and drove Gregory through the covers to the Warner Stand before lofting him over mid-on to the Pavilion. As Roland-Jones took the fight to Somerset, Simpson became more restrained, perhaps giving Roland-Jones his head. He brought up his fifty to extended applause with a cover drive to the Grandstand off Overton. Mainly though he was progressing with singles until he pulled Gregory to the Grandstand boundary to take Middlesex to tea on 163 for 7. The deficit was still 241 with Simpson on 55 and Roland-Jones on 30 from 37 balls. Despite the match position, Roland-Jones’ assault brought the comment, “Batting suddenly looks very easy,” from a Somerset supporter as he stood up to commence a teatime perambulation.

Statements made with such certainty are never wise in cricket. By the time Middlesex had advanced their score to 175, they were all out. Roland-Jones did take the Middlesex pair to their fifty partnership when, after a ball change, he lofted Siddle over straight midwicket for three. When he miscued Henry high over cover the partnership came to an end as Tom Lammonby, eyes firmly on the looping ball, ran backwards and caught it safely enough. Middlesex 173 for 8. Roland-Jones 39 in an hour. When Bamber defended against Henry, he was caught behind. Middlesex 175 for 9. Bamber one. The disintegration of the Middlesex innings was concluded in a piece of silent film comedy. Simpson drove Siddle without force towards straight mid-off. Siddle, extending his follow-through to his right, reached down, almost nonchalantly, to collect the ball – and failed. The ball, gently diverted by his hand, trickled reluctantly, almost apologetically, towards the middle stump. Murtagh, backing up, found himself frozen in time with eyes fixed on the ball, three yards out of his ground. The ball disturbed the middle stump and dislodged the bails. Siddle’s disbelieving chuckle as the bails fell could be heard from the boundary. Middlesex 175 all out. Simpson 57 not out. Murtagh nought. Siddle incredulous.

That left Somerset with a lead of 229. Debate among their supporters about whether the follow-on should be enforced had been rife for a while. Virtually all I had spoken to were in favour, but most expected Somerset to follow the modern reluctance of captains, or whoever in the modern game makes those decisions, to enforce the follow-on and instead to bat again. There were cheers, all surprised, some ironic when the announcement came that the follow-on had been enforced.

It is not uncommon for a side asked to follow on to perform more successfully in their second innings and Middlesex were no exception on the second evening. For the greatest part of the innings, they batted positively. There was some hostile bowling, particularly from Siddle and Henry in the opening overs, but the wicket of Robson was their only reward. There were some early beaten bats, particularly when Henry was bowling, but there were cries of, “Shot!” too, especially when Stoneman had the strike. Robson began relatively circumspectly but then drove or clipped Siddle to the leg side boundary on the spectator-free Tavern side of the ground three times. As cloud slowly began to build, Robson came forward to defend against Siddle and edged low to Davies’ right, the keeper diving to take the catch. Middlesex 27 for 1. Robson 18.

Now, Stoneman began to push for Middlesex, glancing Overton to the Pavilion and driving him through the on side to the Mound Stand. Three more, taken from a thick edge past the slips off Siddle, added to Middlesex’s momentum. Another three straight driven by Stoneman off Overton took the score to 50 for 1. With Middlesex beginning to make progress, there were gasps and pained winces from Somerset supporters when Abell, at third slip, dived in front of second and dropped Stoneman off Gregory. It was not an easy catch, but it was the sort which Abell normally takes which made the disappointment all the more intense. More gasps when, off the next ball, Stoneman attempted to pull Gregory, was tucked up and the ball just evaded Davies’ glove at ground level as he dived down the leg side. Whether it was a chance or not would depend on whether the watcher was of a generous or miserly disposition. It would have been an exceptional catch had it been taken. Another boundary, driven by Stoneman through the on side off Gregory, took the Middlesex run rate, slow at the outset of their innings, close to four an over with four overs remaining in the day. With Eskanazi making progress too, pulling Gregory to the Tavern Stand and driving him through the off side to the Warner Stand, Middlesex closed on 81 for 1. Stoneman 45. Eskinazi 16.

There was some embryonic anxiety among some Somerset supporters at the relative ease with which Middlesex had scored in their second innings, but a remaining lead of 148 settled any immediate concerns. One Somerset supporter said to me, “Even if they match our first innings, we only have to match there’s.” And with only 24 overs gone, the new ball would retain some of its hardness for fresh bowlers on the morrow. It was the best position in which Somerset had found themselves thus far this season at the end of a day’s play, and it was a happy, talkative bunch of their supporters who walked along the side of the Nursery Ground towards the Wellington Road exit.

Close. Somerset 404 (G.A. Bartlett 121, T.B. Abell 77, T. Kohler-Cadmore 68, R.F. Higgins 4-74, T.J. Murtagh 3-102). Middlesex 175 (J.A. Simpson 57*, M.J. Henry 5-45) and 81 for 1. Middlesex trail by 148 runs with nine second innings wickets standing.