Bowling lacks penetration
Rob Steen provides a preview of Middlesex for the 2006 season
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Revolving door
The usual seamy exchanges
- farewell Nantie Hayward and
Paul Hutchison, come on down
Chris Silverwood, Johann Louw
and Mohammad Ali.
Winter wonderland
Steve Martin, groundsman at
Southgate - where Middlesex
swanned home chasing 400
against Glamorgan - won the
2005 Groundsman of the Year
award in the ECB's `Outground'
category. In courageous defiance of
recent trends the playing staff has
increased, to 22. The 2nd XI have
been "assured" of more fixtures.
Strengths
Quite possibly the best top six on
the circuit. In Eoin Morgan, Nick
Compton and Billy Godleman,
who topped 1,000 in last year's
2nd XI Championship at 65, they
also have replacement sparkplugs
to spare. Look for Ben Scott - good
hands, gymnast's reach, nifty
batter - to increase the pressure
on Geraint Jones.
Weaknesses
Slow-developing spinners; absence
of bone-threatening pace; short
boundaries; unusually generous
proportion of public schoolboys;
unfamiliarity with being No. 1 in
London.
Best-case scenario
Pro40 League title and first
Championship pennant in more
than a decade as a fully restored
Chad Keegan plays a fullish part,
Scott Styris picks up from where he
left off and Chris Peploe and James
Dalrymple impersonate Edmonds
and Emburey. And the young
Anglo-Asians that Toby Radford has
reportedly been grooming number
a budding Monty Panesar or two.
Worst-case scenario
Silverwood proves Yorkshire right;
Keegan struggles; Alan Richardson
buckles under the strain again;
Peploe and Dalrymple impersonate
Noel Edmonds and Dick Emery.
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Young one to watch
Eoin Morgan. Another Irish
batsman, like Ed Joyce, injected
with an overdose of talent.
Key man
Paul Weekes.
What they say
Openly disappointed that last
season's Championship campaign
was more about skirting trapdoors
than tilting at crowns, coach John
Emburey assured a members'
forum that Louw (no quick or even
quickish bowler bettered his 60
Division One wickets for Nothants
in 2004) will add discipline and
reliability to an attack noted mostly
for generosity and brittleness.
He also says the young spinners
should be given more opportunities
but what can you do when
those inviting Lord's boundaries
discourage selection? A word with
the landlords might be in order.
Mark Wagh
Laden with batting talent,
they should not find runs
a problem. However, the need
to bowl teams out consistently
could prove more of an issue. New
signings Louw, Mohammad Ali and
Silverwood will provide depth in the
seam department to support the
tireless Richardson.
Predictions County Championship 7th (D1) Pro40 8th (D1)
Odds 10/1. Click here for full odds and to place your bet.
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