On a lovely autumnal afternoon, at England’s most handsome ground, Middlesex were handed their heads. At 5.42pm, when Jake Ball bowed out of professional cricket by sweeping Sam Robson’s full toss to the fine leg boundary, Notts had won by two wickets and Middlesex’s ghastly summer was over.
Invited to make 207 in 57 overs, the Trent Bridgers began briskly, wobbled to 157 for seven, and finally clawed their way to victory. The last hour of the season was riveting. Ultimately, though, the Middle Saxons were dispatched to the second division and justice was seen to be done, for their cricket all year has been lamentable.
The W was on the W, as Wodehouse might have written, in chilly April, and their first innings of the season, against Essex at Lord’s. Their openers were dismissed for ducks, and then two more departed without scoring: an embarrassment from which they never recovered. They went into the final championship match with two batting points. Two! And although they collected three at Trent Bridge, thanks to a century from Ryan Higgins, their demotion is appropriate.
Higgins, who returned to the club from Gloucestershire, enjoyed a good season. So too did John Simpson, the wicketkeeper, in his benefit year. Sam Robson’s century in the second innings at Trent Bridge, which maintained his good recent form, indicated he has not lost his stomach for the fight.
There were good things from Josh De Caires, who came into the team midway through the summer, and took 10 wickets in the match at Chelmsford with his offspinners. But it is best to draw a veil of silence over most of the others, though Middlesex members are not inclined to be silent; nor should they be. They see a club in tatters on and off the field; strapped for talent, strapped for cash, seemingly in freefall.
By letting the dog see the rabbit with his generous declaration Toby Roland-Jones was repaying Notts for a gift back in April when Steven Mullaney challenged Middlesex to make 249 in 40 overs, which they did with four wickets to spare. That was one of only three victories, and one of the other two came against a feeble Kent, who collapsed to Tim Murtagh at Lord’s.
Murtagh, who took his leave last week after a sterling county career, will not be around to reshape the side. But it is not the bowling which requires the most significant amendment. The batting, as those figures reveal, has been shamefully poor. Perhaps the players have been affected more than they are prepared to admit by the shenanigans off the field relating to the administration, past and present, of the club.
With backs against the wall, they tried hard in Nottingham. Having completed an unbeaten century before the declaration, Robson led the way with the ball, taking four wickets with his occasional legspinners. It was a mixed bag alright. For every ball that turned, like the one which castled Calvin Harrison, there were those which didn’t pitch at all, like the full bunger that Ball carted to the rope. There was also a ‘four wides’. The day did not lack variety.
The sailing appeared to be plain when Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed launched the innings at five runs an over. But when Simpson stumped Mullaney off De Caires, a smart piece of work, and Slater fell leg before to Robson, there were alarums. Yadav, bowling from the Radcliffe Road end, then bowled Joe Clarke, who was keen to advance the game with some lusty hits.
But Notts prevailed, just, and Middlesex must lick their wounds, most self-inflicted. It beggars belief that a club with such a gilded history could have played such poor cricket all summer long. Leus Du Plooy, the Derbyshire batsman, will join them next year, but they can’t rely on recruiting players from other counties.
It was a happy day for Notts, though. At lunchtime Stuart Broad popped up to witness the pavilion end at the ground he came to call home renamed in his honour. It is an honour, too. Harold Larwood, Bill Voce, Garfield Sobers, Clive Rice and Richard Hadlee played their cricket at this beautiful ground, and it falls to Broad, the son of a notable father, to accept the palm. Good for him. He did take 600 Test wickets.
A day of wine and roses for him. For Middlesex, a reckoning beckons.