A SHORTENED SEASON, BUT NO SHORTAGE OF MILESTONES!
For large parts of the spring and early summer, the question of whether we would get to see any cricket this year remained in doubt. When the first ball of the season was bowled in anger on August 1st, we breathed a collective sigh of relief as we began a shortened season, condensed into just two months! Despite the difficulties, there has already been plenty to remember…
Tim Murtagh’s outstanding performances in the Bob Willis Trophy have taken him past JJ Warr and into 16th place in Middlesex’s all-time list of first-class wicket takers. Murtagh began the season with 700 first-class wickets to his name and passed Warr (703 wickets) when he dismissed Matthew Dunn in Middlesex’s opening fixture of the season against Surrey at The Oval.
The next Middlesex ‘Great’ in Murtagh’s sights is John Price, who took 734 first class wickets for the club between 1961 and 1975. Murtagh, now on 721 wickets, will probably have to wait until next season to pass Price, but you never know with Tim.
Murtagh is not the only Middlesex player to have reached a milestone during the Club’s four Bob Willis Trophy matches.
During Middlesex’s tense five wicket win over Sussex at Radlett CC John Simpson claimed his 500th victim behind the stumps. Tom Haines was the victim and, unsurprisingly, it was Murtagh who found his outside edge.
Simpson sits in sixth place on the list of Middlesex’s all-time wicket-keepers and he will move into the top five when he collects 44 more catches or stumpings. Paul Downton (546 victims) is the gloveman in his sights. After that, in fourth place, is Leslie Compton on 566 victims.
This is not the only milestone Simpson has passed. The 32 year old has also passed 10,000 runs for Middlesex in all forms of the game.
Sam Robson also reached a milestone during the Sussex win. In the game he passed 9,000 first-class runs for Middlesex. Only 29 batsmen have scored more than 10,000 runs for the club.
Next is Nick Gubbins, who has passed one milestone and is 20 runs away from another. During the 332 first-class runs Gubbins has scored for Middlesex this summer he passed 4,000 first-class runs for the club and he is 20 runs away from reaching 6,000 in all forms of the game.
The remaining two players to have reached landmarks are Steve Eskinazi and Max Holden. Eskinazi has passed 3,000 runs for Middlesex and Holden moved nicely through 1,000.
During ‘Lockdown’ there were conversations and comments about what counties and players would get out of an abbreviated 2020 season. The milestones reached by these players, along with debuts and encouraging performances from three young cricketers – Thilan Walallawita, Jack Davies and Blake Cullen – suggests Middlesex Cricket is getting quite a lot out of it.
