Richo Beyond The Dreams of Avarice Day 2 v NHants

Richo Beyond the Dreams of Avarice

Ged Ladd reports on the second day of the Northants match at Lord’s.  In a day of twists and turns, nothing quite turned out as expected but the game remains fascinatingly poised.  This is first class cricket as it is meant to be.

In early

For the first time in living memory, Ged’s guest had requested an early (i.e. pre start time) meet to soak up the atmosphere and catch the start of play.  Geoff is a Northants lifer (but not to be confused with “Big Papa Zambesi Jeff”, described last season, also a Northants supporter). 

We both agreed that the first hour would be vital as the weather forecast was set for the weather to improve as the day went on and the ball was still pretty new.

Well, the ball certainly did nip a bit at first – Silverwood from the Pavilion End, Murtagh getting good swing from the Nursery End.  Afzaal was dropped off Silvers’ bowling in the gully (I think by Murali Kartik) and that looked like a bad miss as Northants seemed to be escaping danger in that first hour.  Even the night-watchman, Wigley, seemed secure, albeit a little nine-lived.   

The fun starts

Perhaps it was the regular jaffas that encouraged Ed Smith to keep those two bowlers going for more or less a whole hour.  Perhaps it is sound use of pace men at the start of the day.  Cometh the change of bowling (Richardson at the Pavilion End, Johnson at the Nursery End) cometh the wickets.  Richo seems to get extra bounce somehow and golden-boy Billy Godleman snapped up the first of two bat-pad takes to get rid of Wigley.  Later in the morning, golden-boy’s second bat-pad catch was a really good sharp take.  He is an exceptional young talent.

Soon Richo had also accounted for the prized scalp of Afzaal, who was looking very dangerous.  Every time he hit a four Ged would say “he wouldn’t be able to hit those if we’d held that catch when he was on thruppence”.   Another Richo lifter – a regulation caught behind.  Afzaal almost had to be dragged from the crease.

The secret lemonade drinker (R White) was then joined by Destination Zululand (L Klusener) and we knew that we were in for runs or wickets.  Johnno took some punishment at this stage and Ged was quick to point out to Geoff the merits of taking pace off the ball in these circumstances, thus advocating Murali Kartik to replace Johnno.  It took an additional over from Johnno for this idea to reach Ed’s brain, but soon Murali was bowling and very soon Rob White would be doing his secret lemonade drinking back in the Pavilion.  Not a very gainly shot and a fairly easy chance for Compo.

Richo was still on the money.  Ged put the kibosh on Billy Joel (Van der Wath) by stating (with honest intent btw) that Ged rates him as a useful bat as well as a bowler.   Caught at slip low down by Ben for diddly-squat (that’s a technical term for a duck) and Billy Joel was Moving Out.  So much for trying to console Geoff. 

Just before lunch Silverwood was brought back at the Pavilion end and justice was done – he really deserved at least one wicket for his fine spell earlier – that was the excellent sharp bat-pad jobby by BillyG.  192/9 at lunch.  Superb work from our bowlers.  Especially Richo - beyond the dreams of avarice.

Luncheon is served

We enjoyed a fairly “traditional” (for Ged anyway) lunch of smoked salmon bagels, eaten before the luncheon interval with some fine white wine which Geoff had brought.  Shame he didn’t think about a corkscrew – Ged has now standardised on screw-tops for cricket matches – the Long Room Bar obliged.  Cashews with salt and cracked black pepper.  Then, during the official luncheon interval, torpedo rolls with ham and cheese.  The rolls had a myriad of seeds outside them including linseeds.  I think that might be the first time I’ve eaten linseeds rather than treating my bat with their oil. 

We ran into Gerry the Bookseller, very much his inimitable self, but incredulous about all these questions people keep asking him about “lover”.  Gerry told us one or two of his better stories, which amused Geoff no end as he has never met Gerry before.

Damp Squib

We anticipated some fireworks after lunch, as Klusener was hardly going to die wondering with only Jason Brown still for company.  A few fireworks from both of the last pair, but it was Brown who perished to Johnno (good catch Ace) and Northants were all out for 211. 

The weather was not improving in the forecast manner – indeed the weather seemed to be closing in a bit – not what Middlesex wanted at all.

At first, Van der Wath looked dangerous whereas Crook did not.   And don’t ask Nick Compton why he didn’t play a stroke to the Wath one that got him LBW – he’ll be having nightmares about that tonight as it is.  But once Crook got into his stride he looked dangerous too and nearly picked up both of Shah and Hutton before the weather really closed in and play was suspended (just before 15:15 at 43/1). 

Geoff and I hung around – I showed him round the Pavilion, showed him the Allen Stand and also the Warner.  We had a beer in the Bowlers’ Bar, a coffee in the upstairs lounge and all of that sort of stuff.  We also hung out for a while in the Long Room, where the stewards seemed convinced there’s be no more play and frankly we believed them.

Evening time

So, despite being two of the most optimistic “oh look there’s some brighter-ish sort of sky over there” people, Geoff and I decided at about 17:30 that the chances of further play were close to zilch.  We parted.

I walked home.

Of course, the further I got from the ground the brighter it seemed to be getting.  Perhaps it’s not quite so bright a mile or so further north, I thought.  But as I got in to my house the sun came out and I guessed that play must have resumed.  I switched on the internet radio – 47/1 and less than ten overs to face.

Then the loss of Shah.  That takes the gloss off the day a fair bit.  What Kartik was doing playing shots as night-watchman I really can’t imagine.  Perhaps that is a subtle message to Ed Smith, along the following lines: “I, MURALI KARTIK, DO NOT WANT TO BE NIGHT-WATCHMAN”.

Still, no further damage.  81/3 overnight (only two major wickets) and that priceless 1^st innings lead of 47 to add to it.  The game remains fascinatingly poised.  This is first class cricket as it is meant to be.