View From the Bowlers' Bar

View From the Bowlers� Bar � Day 2 Middlesex v Kent

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Our intrepid reporter, Ged Ladd, spent the whole of Day 2 in the Bowlers� Bar (well, someone has to do it) to enable him to report on Middlesex�s bowling performance today.� It has to be said that his attention to detail seems to diminish as the day goes on, for some reason, but this piece offers a fascinating insight into the inner workings of Middlesex�s new bowling engine, although mercifully little insight into the workings of Ged�s beer drinking engine.

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Silver Machine

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From the first half hour of play, Silverwood was the stand-out pace bowler of the day.� He looked like possibly taking a wicket 2 or 3 times each over and troubled both openers, especially Key who looked out of sorts.� Indeed, when Silverwood dismissed Key, one Kent wag suggested that �Key-Lite� (by gosh, he�s lost some weight) was not Key at all but a slimmer body double sent to bat in place of Key.� �In which case he�s not a very good body double�, Ged pointed out, helpfully.� �

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Silverwood mercifully removed the dangerous van Jaarsveld towards the end of his after-lunch spell, a dismissal that precipitated the excellent sequence of wickets between lunch and tea.� Ged seeks personal credit for Silverwood�s third wicket.� As tea approached and Kent were stubbornly 7 down, Ged announced that Ali should be replaced at the Nursery End by Silverwood for a short pre-tea spell.� As so often on these successful occasions, Ben Hutton got the signal from Ged and heeded the advice.� And that was the end of Simon Cook for 6.�

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Silverwood�s Stats: 17 overs, 3 maidens, 55 runs, 3 wickets (could have had more).

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Ged�s verdict: helpful conditions, granted, but consistent bowling of this quality from several bowlers could win us the championship.

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Chris Silverwood:

Yes, he dresses like a second hand car salesman, but this suit can bowl.

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Swing Louw

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Let�s hope we look back on this innings as one of Johann�s lows.� He looked like the support act throughout the opening salvos and at no point did he look very threatening during the day.� A few good balls, granted, but really not his day.� Perhaps the conditions didn�t play to his strengths as much as they did to others, perhaps just an off day.� Second dig might be different.� One friend of a Kent persuasion bet me that Louw would not be one of Middlesex�s top 3 bowlers in 2006.� I accepted the bet (can�t judge a fellow on one performance), so I have a lot at stake in backing Louw at this stage.� I won�t disclose the exact nature of the bet, but let�s just say that it is akin to one of Ged�s small competition prizes (and not cricket-related as it happens) rather than grubby cash.

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Louw�s Stats: 20 overs, 5 maidens, 69 runs, 1 wicket.

Ged�s verdict: too many leave balls and four balls, not enough �phwarr� balls.� But his time should come soon.

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Johann Louw:

With a sweet smile like that, how could you possibly fear his bowling?� Nice blazer.

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Wright Here, Right Now

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Wright looked�.well��.right, at first.� He helped to create some real pressure by bowling tight, which frustrated Fulton into playing a poor shot.� But after lunch he started to bowl four balls at just the wrong time, pressure-wise.� I question his ability currently to bowl several spells of high quality in a day; an observation I made last season when I saw him bowl against Surrey.� He didn�t break anyone�s hand today and he did look more convincing at times than he looked last season.�

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Wright�s Stats: 15 overs, 3 maidens, 64 runs, 1 wicket.

Ged�s verdict: There�s clearly real talent there, but he still needs more experience under his belt before he can press for a regular 1^st team place.

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Chris Wright:

Rehearsing the Willis Grimace

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Ali Ooop

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Mohammad Ali is the hardest of the bowlers for me to assess [Editor�s interjection: that�s because you were already under the table when he came on to bowl, Ged] as his performance was really hit and miss.� A real mixture of excellent balls, buffet balls and 6 no-balls (which is 6 too many).�� He looks very fit and full of heart.� That left-armer quality with the slope adds more stuff for batsmen to think about.� He looked like getting O�Brien for a while going across his bows and then, hey presto.� The Walker wicket was a bit of a gift, but 2 were his due today.

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Mohammad Ali: 13.5 overs, 2 maidens, 71 runs, 2 wickets.

Ged�s verdict: Curate�s egg performance.� If Embers can �minimise the negative and accentuate the positive, this signing could be really good news for us.

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Mohammad Ali:

Lord�s sure beats Derby in April

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You Spin Me Round

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Ged hardly noticed Jamie Dalrymple�s performance.� The ball didn�t seem to be doing much for him.� Yet the batsmen didn�t seem to be doing much to him.� I realised that he was using flight well; often deceiving or at least restricting the batsmen, mixing it up.� It was only after the innings ended I realised that he had taken 3 vital wickets and bowled 17 mean overs (at less than twos).

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Jamie Dalrymple: 17 overs, 6 maidens, 33 runs, 3 wickets.

Ged�s verdict: This sort of spin bowling performance is exactly what we need from Jamie D.� Where on earth did he learn to bowl off-spin on unhelpful wickets like this?� Top bowling for the circumstances.

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Jamie Dalrymple:

His bowling performance today deserves a better photo than this one

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Conclusion

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At the start of play this match was poised, at the end of play it is still poised.� The bowlers have put Middlesex into a reasonable position.� If the batsmen can make the most of it tomorrow, Middlesex can win from here.� We need to give the bowlers enough to bowl at second dig.� A target of 300+ should be challenging for Kent batting last on the final day.� But don�t expect this track to get much worse � it might even settle down a bit tomorrow and Saturday.