This is a match report, not a daria's travel report, so all I will say is that it took me less time to get to Bristol than it did to get to Uxbridge last week. Getting from Temple Meads station to the ground is a bit of a trek, involving two buses, but I managed it by the expedient of following the three Middlesex fans in front of me and so got to the ground at about half past ten.

Brilliant sunshine on the way down had unfortunately given way to gloomy cloud, and almost as soon as I took my seat (on one of the benches in front of the pavilion) than it started to rain hard. I ran to the Mound Stand for shelter, but fortunately it didn't last long and play got underway at about ten past eleven. It rather set the tone for the day, though, as intervals of hot sunshine were interspersed by heavy showers.

Our two unflappable batsmen didn't seem bothered by it at all.Steve Kirby opened the bowling from the Pavilion End to Scott, with Lewis (shorn of his pre-Raphaelite curls, which is a great shame) at the Jessop Stand end. Kirby only had one ball from the curtailed over from the previous evening, which Scott wisely left. Lewis' first ball to the Captain was wildly appealed for LBW, but wasn't given. I could hear Will Porterfield (the captain's international captain and best mate) giving him some stick, but his Belfast accent is so thick I couldn't make out what he was saying. Morgan seemed to be amused by it, though. The Gloucestershire team are mostly very short, which must have pleased our lot. Their keeper was even shorter than Scotty.

The running between the wickets was very good today -these two are fast, and they picked up a lot of rapid twos. I noticed Joyce sitting out in the sunshine by the dressing rooms, which surprised me as he'd confessed to Kevin Hand during the coverage of the Northants game that he hated to watch as he felt responsible when any of his team mates got out. Maybe he wanted to top up his tan. If so, he was to be disappointed. A further shower at 11.45 stopped play again with Middlesex on 93-4. Morgan and Porterfield wandered off deep in chat. This time the break was only about five minutes - hardly were the covers on before they were taken off again. Lewis bowled one more over to Morgan, two more runs, and then replaced himself with the youngster Saxelby.

Middlesex inched their way to 100. The sun came out again. Once the important milestone of three figures was reached, Scott began to play more freely, hitting several fours and bringing his score up to 31. These two looked set now and Lewis was beginning to frown. Behind me, our club captain went off to fetch the acting captain a cappuccino. Eoin's 50 came off, I think, 138 balls. His switching from the short form of the game to the four-day game has been much more fluent than last year, and the century against the South Africans seems to have been the final touch that his confidence needed. He looked the senior batsman out there; no offence to Scott who is in superb form with both bat and gloves.154-4 at lunch.

 Lunch was sunny and warm, but it started to rain again at about half past one so play didn't start again until ten to two. I shivered under my umbrella and tried to prevent my picnic getting soaked.After lunch the bowling resumed with North and Saxelby, North bowling from the Jessop Stand end to Ben. After we had put on another ten runs, Gidman replaced him. I know Gidman is touted as an all-rounder, but he didn't impress me today. That said, all the bowlers were struggling. Ben got a single from Gidman to bring up his 50, and the loudest cheers were from the little Middlesex enclave next to the sight screen. 175-4, with Eoin on 75. Lewis brought on Hamish Marshall at the Pavilion end, which according to the Glos fans next to me seemed a sure sign he was running out of ideas. Marshall didn't bowl badly, though - economical if not actually penetrative. The batsmen appeared a bit becalmed at this point - the scoring slowed to a trickle. Lewis took the new ball at about 3pm with Middlesex on 198-4, which livened things up a bit, Morgan hitting a couple of boundaries to get himself to 91. Joyce promptly went inside. He needn't have worried - the Captain wasn't going to fail today. He ran two off a Kirby delivery, then four off Ireland who had replaced Lewis at the Jessop end. 97, and he didn't look the slightest bit nervous. Ben on 75. It seemed to stay like this for ages. Ireland bowled to the Irishman again and there was a huge appeal - I think for an edge - which wasn't given. Morgan got a single off the next ball, and then Ben hit two off the one after that. 228-4.

 Lewis replaced Kirby at the Pavilion end. Another single for Morgan. 99. Four for Scott, then two. Gidman at the Jessop end, a maiden to Morgan. Everyone beginning to feel tense now. Lewis bowled another maiden. Scott and Morgan meet in the middle of the crease for a chat. Morgan swings wildly at the next ball. Tension increases several notches. Finally, a scrambled single for his first championship century. Joyce has reappeared and is leading the cheers. Morgan seems completely unfazed by it all. After this, Lewis brought on the diminutive Chris Taylor. I didn't even know he bowled. Sadly he does, as he proceeded to get Scott out bat pad. Poor Ben, but I think he's pretty much cemented his place by now. Murtagh replaced him, but looked a bit edgy and fell to Saxelby - his first championship wicket - for only ten. Quarter to five, and the score was 261-6.

I confess, I wouldn't have predicted this at close of play yesterday.Karthik was in next, and did what he was supposed to do - keep Morgan on strike as much as possible. The Captain was having the time of his life now. Various Middlesex batsmen appeared to be eating ice cream, and young Malan was reading the Guardian over Joyce's shoulder. It was all very pleasant and relaxed, as was I after some very fine local cider from the Hammond bar. But all good things must come to an end, and at 5.15 the rain started to come down again harder than it had all day. The players left the field at 282-6. A lessening of the rain led to an announcement that play would resume at 6pm, but it didn't seem likely at all and proved not to be the case when it was pouring again at 6pm.

 I left shortly afterwards to catch my train, and was slightly worried that almost as soon as I did the rain stopped and the sun came out, but there was no further play.All in all, a good day's cricket even if it wasn't wildly exciting (maybe I have been spoilt by Twenty20?). Morgan continues to impress, Scott was a perfect foil, and everyone else had a pleasant day with their feet up. Tomorrow, I imagine, will be all about our bowlers.  At least they'll be rested.

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