I stayed daahn in the smoke with my sister in Muswell Hill after that football match on Saturday to watch the cricket.
I must say that Lords is no place to be for visiting supporters who are not sufficiently suited and booted to get into the Pavilion when conditions are inclement. There was a mini hurricane from the west which veered to the south for the first three days. Only the maddest bastards stayed in the upper John Edrich stand, and most were heard coughing and weezing in death rattle mode before the end. The big stand which would afford some protection from the prevailing winds was closed. There was one bar which was not indoors either and was a good a long walk away unless you were in the Mound stand. Apparently the pies were good at £6.50 and the Scotch Eggs were popular. £4.70 for a pint of Marstons New World compared to £3.20 at Edgbaston in the Tom Dollery.
As for the cricket, it was a terrible toss to lose. Finn was lethal in the early stages, and had good support from their other seamers. Their spinner was no great shakes, so I was not surprised to see a large patch of green on the wicket which remained throughout the four days. None of our seamers bowling up the hill from the nursery end seemed to get any swing or seam. Barker in particular was ineffective from that end, and Chopra just carried on as though it was a prearranged plan.
In the Middlesex second innings, Rikki Clarke bowling from the Pavilion End looked our only consistent threat, and he looked well up for it. A shame that his batting form is so poor, because he is a consistently brilliant fielder, particularly in the slip cordon.
I am beginning to wonder about Chopra's captaincy. He and Dougie Brown appear quite willing to go for the draw along as we get some decent bonus points. It worked in 2012, I suppose.
