Middlesex till we die - Morgan and Malan Make Mahem

Morgan and Malan Make Mahem

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By Daria July 6 2008
Daria tells us all about Day 2 at Uxbridge against the Saffers. We have her helpful neighbour to thank for the morning report, due to Daria's now well documented transport and geographical challenges. But after that it is all Daria. Many thanks once again, Daria, for an entertaining and informative match report.

Middlesex v South Africa at Uxbridge, Day 2

Frustrating Morning

First of all I must apologise that this is not a full report, only two-thirds of one. A number of factors, most notably the fact that the TFL website is a work of fiction, plus it would appear I cannot read a map to save my life (I knew I should have done GCSE Geography) meant that I only arrived at the ground ten minutes before lunch and not in the best of tempers, to be greeted by the sight of Billy and Dawid at the crease. Middlesex were 58-1. Clearly I had missed a lot.

Fortunately I had a very helpful neighbour, who kindly explained to me that SA had declared after Prince got out on 114 (c the Captain, b Asbo) , we'd been batting for about an hour and Strauss had been out caught.

I'm sorry I missed Morgan's catch; it sounded like a beauty. But Thank You, Mr Informed Gentleman in the panama hat.

Once I was up to speed and sitting in the sun with a gin and tonic, my public transport-inspired rage vanished. And it was a lovely day at Uxbridge - the odd grey cloud would appear, hover for a bit as if watching the match, then go away again.

Given the weather and the opponents, I was surprised and disappointed that the crowd was so sparse. I know it was only a tour match, but given the prices of Test tickets at Lord's and the Oval, I would have expected more people would take the chance to see what was essentially a full-strength South African side, as well as the return of a couple of old favourites to the Middlesex team.

Afternoon Delight

Resuming on 63-1 after lunch, Billy and Dawid were cautious at first - I don't blame them at all, but it made for rather slow viewing. The wicket was flatter than day-old champagne but even so, Kallis and Steyn looked dangerous. Dawid looked marginally the more fluent of the two, although both were scoring very slowly.

Billy tried to speed up and was caught off the bowling of Kallis, which meant that Joyce came in and Dawid slowed down even more, although the presence of an older head at the other end made him appear to me to be a bit more relaxed. Joyce seemed in good form and it was a shame that he fell for only 20 to the spinner Harris. Captaincy suits him.

The fall of Joyce brought Morgan to the crease. Every time I see him I'm struck by how small he is (Five feet nine, Eoin? I really don't think so) but he's in the form of his life and he couldn't wait to get out there. There was a desperate cry for LBW off his very first ball, but it was (rightly, as far as I could see) ignored and the Captain started as he meant to go on, stroking four off the next ball. His appearance and confidence seemed to invgorate Malan, who while he wasn't as fluent as his older counterpart, took confidence from his obvious lack of fear of the big names of the SA team.

Malan shows no fear

When Morgan is on form, his confidence is catching. Dawid was caught on 39 off the dangerous Morkel, who he never seemed entirely comfortable facing, but it proved to be a no-ball and the partnership of the young left-handers continued apace. Morgan was enjoying himself, especially against Harris who he smashed three enormous sixes off - flashbacks to Twenty20, maybe? AC reached his 50 first (but not by much, given the Captain was scoring at pretty much a run a ball) by hitting Kallis for two fours in one over, and it was 163-3 at tea.

Evening Becomes Morgan

Not to be outdone, Morgan hit two fours off Ntini in the first over after tea. His 50 was off 51 balls and brought up by two more fours.

Dawid was gone on 67, hitting out against Prince, which resulted in the welcome sight of Nick Compton in Middlesex colours (well whites) after what seemed like months. He was understandably cautious, and seemed stuck on 4 for a very long time, but he was a calm foil for the Captain who by now was having the time of his life, the SA bowlers unable to dent his unshakeable confidence as he hit them all over the park.

I'm sure I can't have been the only person who was simultaneously biting my nails and crossing my fingers when he got to 94 - how many times has he got out in the 90s now? - but today everything was going right for him and he brought up his century at about five to six with two fours off Amla, to warm applause from the hardy few remaining.

He continued to play with freedom even after that, which was a good sign considering he was out first ball after his last century. Compton achieved a slow, careful 27 before being stumped by Boucher, but assuming he stays fit I think he looks a lot happier with himself than the last few times I've seen him play. Compton's dismissal brought out the only person in the Middlesex squad who makes the Captain look tall, but Scotty had very little to do, facing just two balls and getting one run before play finished at about ten past six.

The SA team applauded the Captain off the field, which I thought was a lovely touch. The kid done good, and he's only going to get better.

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