How did we win in 2008?
As a long suffering member I'm very aware that prior to the start of this season Middlesex were statistically the worst side in T20 county cricket (wins as a percentage of games played) and now with 2 wins in 13 I can't bring myself to do the maths.
So that gorgeous day in 2008 when after playing in an win at a beautiful ground I got back to my local in time to see MCCC's famous victory surrounded by fairly gracious Surrey-supporting mates seems surreal. In other circumstances you might even wonder if a leather jacket were involved (but certainly not here).
So I checked and of the 11 that won less than 3 years ago only 4 are still with us (one on England duty, one injured, one lent to another county and one rested). And one played against us last night and one has joined us from the beaten finalists.
So no reason to expect the 2008 and 2011 sides to have anything in common - I suspect that there is more of a merrygoround in cricket than there is in the game with a bigger ball for those with short attention spans.
P S I see from the same Wisden that Adam Rossington, now of Middlesex had a wonderful year for Mill Hill School.
PPS at least Pinky the Panther won the mascot race last night. Middlesex till we die wants to give him the player of the month award ( I met some of them yesterday at a pub near the ground) http://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/main/s66.htm
4 comments:
I can't say I know the stats, but I'd guess the likes of Owais Shah and Eoin Morgan had a big hand in it. One was strangely released, and the other has gone from the odd Ireland match to England test and ODI regular (even ODI vice-captain ahead of Broad according to Sky Sports the other day!)
Udal was instrumental that year and he's retired now. But a fair bit comes down to luck....that's why some don't like Twenty20 - the best team nearly always wins over 4 or 5 days, but in 20 overs each a wrong decision or a few lucky edges can swing the match.
Yes of course, forgot about Udal!
Yes Ed, that's true, but Middlesex have been *dire* this year and weren't much better last year.
Ryan McLaren looked a good signing but has been expensive with the ball and until last night could barely get a run. Scott Newman is not exactly an attacking batsman, and Dexter oddly chooses not to bowl Dalrymple, despite spinners seeming to tie teams down and get wickets.
We've also signed Crook and Ireland, who, at best are bit part players and aren't really great. I would have preferred to get one good player rather than two mediocre players...
Still, at least we're second in Div 2 of the CC.
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