Amazingly tense finish at Lord's yesterday, where Middlesex beat Surrey by 3 runs in a low scoring match.
The visitors began the day needing another 46 to win with six wickets left. The first three wickets fell for the addition of only nine of those runs, but a few meaty blows from Jon Lewis edged Surrey towards the target. Lewis was the only batsman who looked comfortable against some skilful swing and seam bowling, and if he'd managed to take a bit more of the strike once the real non-batsmen were at the other end I think we'd have won. After taking a single off the first ball of an over Lewis called Jade Dernbach down the pitch for a conversation. One can only assume he said something along the lines of "See if you can hit the next ball out of the ground". Or then again, perhaps Dernbach just completely ignored him. Dernbach 's brainless slog, head tilted back, body and limbs contorted in a horrible mess, sent the ball high into the air for a catch in the covers only a few yards from the pitch. He does it every bloody time. Every time you need him to just stay there while someone who knows what he's doing can grind out a few more runs at the other end he seems to imagine himself as Ian Botham and totally takes leave of his senses.
