Metro Bank v Yorkshire 22nd August 2023

[Paul W]

15 man squad named-

https://www.middlesexccc.com/news/2023/08/middlesex-v-yorkshire-vikings-squad-match-preview-one-day-cup

Blake Cullen is included.

Stoneman (c), Andersson, Bamber, Cracknell, Cullen, Davies, De Caires, Fernandes, Kaushal, Higgins, Hollman, Robson, Simpson (wk), Walallawita, White.

[Sillypoint]

Cullen! Let's hope he's fit to go. White too?

[Jonathan Winsky]

It is great to see Blake Cullen back, as I imagine that he began the 2023 season hopeful of scaling the heights of 2021, when he took 20 wickets in the T20 Blast and was picked up by London Spirit in The Hundred (partly due to the pandemic making it harder to bring in overseas players, and partly because he is talented), where he took 10 wickets. Therefore, I am sure that he will be gutted that for the second season running, his appearances have been restricted by injury, and that he seems to be a long way off returning to The Hundred. He will be hopeful that if he can remain fit, maybe he could add to his 7 first-class appearances before the season is out.

Once again, I find myself wondering whether any of Nathan Fernandes, Thilan Walallawita and Robbie White will get a match. We will have to see whether, once again, the answer is no.

Hopefully we will end our campaign on a winning note rather than losing and thereby risking the possibility that, depending on other results, we finish bottom of our group and potentially with the worst record amongst the 18 counties. Then again, as the two teams below us are Essex and Surrey, who face each other tomorrow, I am not sure whether it is mathematically possible for both teams to finish above us. Still, I am certain that we would prefer to be calculating how to secure a home semi-final rather than how to avoid the wooden spoon!

[Paul W]

Blake Cullen plays instead of Ishaan Kaushal.

No other changes.

This is the last game until September. Thilan Walallawita has made one T20 appearance, and Robbie White one championship appearance all season.

They must both be feeling like spare parts in Richard Johnson's plans.

[MIDDLE EXILE]

Neither has done enough to justify selection, which is based on various considerations, but not on sentiment. They remain an integral part of the squad and it is up to them to make themselves serious contenders by proving their ability and worthy of selection. Perhaps I've missed it PW but have you any stats that might suggest they have been treated unfairly?

[Paul W]

Toby on commentary- and he has debunked the idea he's been on a holiday abroad.

[Paul W]

A nice comfortable victory in the end (with a little worry when we lost our 5th wicket). Shame it was never going to see us qualify for the next stage.

A pity Crackers didn't get a maiden first team hundred, but I'm sure he'll achieve it at some point.

[Sillypoint]

Felt a bit flat today. Neither side really engaged. So many misfields!

[Sillypoint]

Toby on commentary- and he has debunked the idea he's been on a holiday abroad.

Poor bloke was in Skegness then! 😂

[Jonathan Winsky]

It is great that Middlesex ended this campaign on a winning note. We will have to see whether it will count for anything come the resumption of the County Championship or when we next play limited-overs cricket in around nine months’ time.

I am glad that Blake Cullen marked his return by bowling economically and taking two wickets. Well done to Ethan Bamber and Ryan Higgins on their bowling performances too.

From my scorecard viewpoint, I had little idea as to how competitive Yorkshire’s 253 was. I felt little need to worry when Joe Cracknell, Mark Stoneman and Sam Robson took us to 171-1 after 19.2 overs, although my feelings changed when we found ourselves five down six overs later. At least all this meant that Martin Andersson scored 32 more runs than Higgo to spare my blushes after I took a gamble to make Andersson my wildcard instead of Higgo on Know Your Cricket, only for Higgo to take four wickets (all in the final over) and Andersson none.

[adelaide]

Some of the misfields were people being yorked in trying to go for catches.

Having been thrilled by Masood's batting last year, I wasn't terribly impressed by him today. He seemed to be overdoing the old "bat round me" approach. What urgency there was came from Revis, Bess and Duke. Misfields apart Middlesex seemed up for it but Yorkshire were so inept that there was no real doubt about who was going to win. A close finish would not have seemed flat, irrespective of misfields and lack of incentive. I dipped into Essex v Surrey and that was competitive to the last ball and exciting for spectators however poor the actual quality.

I loved the shots of Bamber, Andersson and Gus trying to get the ball out of the hedge!

[Paul W]

Why doesn't someone cover the hedge with some sort of protection the day before the match starts? Perfectly possible.

Four of our five one day wins this year (all three in T20 and one 50 overs) have come when it no longer matters, and we start the match knowing nothing is riding on it. So, we know how to win when the pressure is off (it helps even more if there is nothing in it for our opponents as well). Next trick- learn how to win before we are mathamatically out of it.

[adelaide]

Amazing how Toby, Gus, Alan C and Keith Dutch are all on the mic at different times and the name "Pieter Malan" never emerge from anyone's lips. I hesitate to jump in because you never know what might be going on under the surface but the situation does seem very unusual.

[MIDDLE EXILE]

Not really, he's obviously no longer part of the playing squad, and with unresolved issues concerning his contract, any comment is likely to prejudice the ongoing situation. I think it's fair to say we'll not see him in a Middlesex shirt again. Of more concern is whether we are likely to secure a quality overseas batter to replace him for our final four vital championship matches.

[Paul W]

Here's your answer re Malan-

https://www.middlesexccc.com/news/2023/08/pieter-malan-returns-to-south-africa-to-captain-boland

[adelaide]

Here's your answer re Malan-

https://www.middlesexccc.com/news/2023/08/pieter-malan-returns-to-south-africa-to-captain-boland

That makes sense for both parties, though I expect he would have stayed if in form. Maybe the early season wickets were so different to what he is used to that it affected his confidence. He played an important tole in 2022 though so good luck to him.

Looking for a replacement implies that he's not being paid for September. I'm not too keen on short term replacements so I hope whoever comes in is also open to a deal for next season but all the constraints on availability may make that impossible.

[adelaide]

In after match comments, Shan Masood says they deliberately chose to bat on what could be a tricky wicket at first in order to challenge the batsmen to perform in those conditions. They also changed their batting order; Duke had been opening. So pretty obviously winning the match was a secondary consideration for them and maybe that showed in Masood's own innings. I can see some logic in that but if I'd travelled down the M1 for the day, while I would probably have enjoyed Radlett itself I would have wanted the team as selected to be trying its best to win by taking advantage of conditions rather than the other way round.