By David Slater
March 8 2005

Wickets at Lord's

• In the past the club have had no input into the pitches
• They have talked to Mick Hunt about it and he is agree in principle to add more grass
• Whether this happens or not is a different matter

Contingency plans should Scott Styris not be fit to join

• One or two names have been mentioned should Scott not be able to join
• There is no rush as things stand but the club will move quick if it is necessary
• With Andy Strauss here for the first month, it won't be considered the end of the world if he misses the first month

Brett Lee

• An enquiry was made last year
• There has been no new contact
• The club believe if he does come to England he will join Surrey due to Steve Rixon coaching him at New South Wales

Ben Hutton's bowling

• John Embury feels there are times in matches where he should bowl more, especially in the one day game
• He bowled more when he was captain
• He needs to be more disaplined when he bowls

Ben Scott's nose

• The injury Ben suffered against Northants was more serious then first though
• He needed two blood transfusions
• He is still having breathing difficulties. He was offered the chance of an operation but chose not to have surgery as it would rule him out of the opening weeks of the season
• He kept wicket brilliantly in India
• He is working on making a helmet which should rectify the problem

Changes in Sport England funding

• The changes have occupied a lot of time during the winter
• There is a lot of politics involved
• The ECB are looking at a streamlined management board which will replace the First Class Forum
• Middlesex look after the development of the game inside the county, as they are supposed to but this isn't the case elsewhere

Match Programme

• Whilst it isn't all that cost effective, it will continue in 2005
• There are more plans to improve it in 2005

New Scorer

• The normal option is to appoint a former player.
• No former player was avalible for 2005
• Don Shelley of Ealing CC will take up the post for one year
• The club will then see if a former player is avalible
• If not Don will carry on, on a perminant basis

Pubs near the ground

• Several pubs near the ground have either closed or undergone drastric changes
• The Windsor Castle want to do a deal with the club that would allow for discounts for members.
• Vinny can't see a problem about this.

Mascott

• The unoffical reason for Middlesex not being represented at the mascotts race on Twenty20 finals day was "we couldn't find a horse in time"
• Vinny said that the reason we don't have a mascott is that they are too expensive to run

Australia match

• Will only happen if Northants reach the semi finals of the C&G Trophy

Page three of forum review