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MIDDLESEX WILT AS OXFORDSHIRE GAIN REVENGE
Roll forward
12 months and the sides found themselves in similar situations. Middlesex
were effectively out of contention, barring mathematical improbabilities,
and Oxfordshire with 2 wins from 2 were looking to take full control of
the group. This time though, under a hot sun at Finchley Bowls Club,
Middlesex’s new visitor friendly home venue, Oxfordshire made no mistake,
roaring out of the starting blocks and taking full control of the game
throughout to record an emphatic 19-3 point’s victory.
Oxfordshire now have a home tie against Berkshire to come, a side one Middlesex official quipped “even we beat!” to ensure that they win the group and progress and on yesterdays evidence you would not be betting against them.
So, to the game itself. Middlesex needed a handsome victory to stand any chance of progressing but they got off to a poor start trailing 30-19 at 5 ends. By 10 ends the game was almost up as Oxfordshire piled on the shots to lead 68-33.
Top rink for
Middlesex was the rink of Ron LeLeux (Uxbridge) who was much criticised
after the Berkshire game. With Barry Wheeler (West Ealing) replacing the
unavailable John Sweeney at 3, John Carey (also West Ealing) at 2 and
Richard Southgate (Harrow) leading they recorded an impressive 25-14 win.
Middlesex’s only other point came from the 16-16 rink draw of Kevin Ward (Broomfield), Paul Fuller (Uxbridge), Phil Sutcliffe (Brentham) and Norman Worley (Paddington).
In the days other game Hampshire beat Berkshire 18-4 to leave the group looking as follows:-
Oxfordshire Played 3 51 points Hampshire Played 3 40 points Surrey Played 3 30 points Berkshire Played 3 30 points Middlesex Played 4 21 points
So onto 2011
and Middlesex’s Centenary year. The Middleton Cup groups change again and
we lose all the old Middlesex players in Surrey to be replaced by Kent. We
also lose Berkshire who are replaced by Sussex.
Middlesex perhaps need to look at some of the issues concerning those Senior players who did not play this year to see if they can be brought back into the fold but ultimately it is far more important to play with 24 who want to be there rather than a few who think they have a right to be there and who seem to think the County should thank them for playing.
Our fixtures will be Kent and Sussex at home with Hampshire and Oxford Away. Few could argue that Kent, Oxford and Hampshire will start as group favourites but they will undoubtedly take points off each other and another tight group is expected. If Middlesex can start well there is no reason why the Orange cannot be the side progressing through from next year’s group and onto the Quarter and beyond.
With 4 Home Counties games still to come in 2010 Team Manager Brian Hearn will undoubtedly be looking for players of the right abilities both mentally and playing wise to take the county forward into its next 100 years.
Tony Waller (Photographs Joan Waller)
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In 2009 an
out of contention Middlesex side travelled to Banbury Central in
Oxfordshire and recorded an unexpected win which cost Oxfordshire CBA
their anticipated place in the Middleton Cup Quarter Finals.
Middlesex
held firm from there but were unable to reduce the deficit convincingly
and at 15 ends the gap was still 30 (88-58), at 18 ends it had risen again
to 36 (108-72) and as Oxfordshire started to celebrate their success and
listen out for news of the other game in the group they coasted home
122-92 victors.
So what can
we draw from this season? Well in my opinion as in 2009 when we beat
Surrey and Oxford, this season’s victory over Berkshire on their own turf
has shown that on our day we can beat anyone. What we lack, perhaps, is a
bit of consistency and belief that if things are not going well we can
fight back. The new home venue of Finchley has not been a roaring success
with 4 defeats from 4 and some players unhappy with the surface but the
blooding of a number of the under 25 squad bodes well for the future.