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There's work to be done
By Jeremy Horne April 14 2003
Middlesex drew their university match against Oxford, but the performance suggests that a tough season lies ahead for the ‘sex after we struggled to take wickets all game and found scoring runs in our 2nd innings difficult.
The bowling in Oxford university’s 1st innings lacked penetration and it took over 100 overs to bowl them out whilst they only managed a score of 261. Then when it came to our turn to bat again, the snail’s pace seemed to rub off on us as we failed to score as quickly as most other county sides were doing in other friendlies. We also lost regular wickets, with Ed Joyce, who remained 50 not out when Andrew Strauss declared at 171-5, being the only man to pass 30.

Oxford’s 2nd innings took a similar shape as their 1st did and the match was eventually called a draw after 32 overs when Oxford had made a paltry 48 and Middlesex had only, disappointingly, taken a one wicket.

The boys will need to up their game for the 1st championship match of the year against Essex at Chelmsford, which begins on Friday.

Scores: Middlesex 1st innings: 364-4 dec (Koenig 166 retired, Strauss 76, Shah 73)

Oxford University 1st innings: 261 (Anwar 99, Weekes 4-55)

Middlesex 2nd innings:

Hutton c Lowe b Airey 27
Nash st Lowe b McMahon 27
Joyce Not out 50
Weekes st Lowe b Munday 17
Cook c Lowe b Sharpe 12
Keegan c Lowe b Airey 26
Strauss Not out 3

Extras 9

Total (for 5 declared, 57.5 overs) 171

Did not bat: Koenig, Shah, Bloomfield, Dawes

Oxford University 2nd innings: TARGET: 275

Butcher b Bloomfield 7
Sayers Not out 15
Cowan Not out 21

Extras 5

Total (for 1 wicket, 32 overs) 48

Did not bat: Jones, Anwar, Lowe, Airey, Mees, McMahon, Sharpe, Munday.

RESULT: Match drawn

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