Our thanks go to long-standing Middlesex member, Martin Hadland, for penning this report on our latest members' event.
On Monday this week over 30 Middlesex members met for our latest Walk | Talk | Connect event in Northwood.
On a rainy day, we were greeted at Croxley Park Station by Middlesex in the Community MD, Gus Fraser, who had just completed a 'course inspection', which resulted in him adjudging our initial planned off-road route to be too wet, slippery, and potentially dangerous. His decision was highlighted by the fact that on his early inspection he had slipped over and cut his knee, which was subsequently treated by the Middlesex team physio team when we reached our final destination of the Julian Hill Cricket Centre at Merchant Taylors' School.
Gus's Plan B, featuring an alternative and much safer route, quickly swung into operation, and the group eagerly completed a 1.5 mile on-road walking tour of the Moor Park Estate, which gave us the opportunity to gawp at properties which were slightly outside the price range of most of the participants on the walk.
When we arrived at Merchant Taylors School we stopped in the grounds alongside the main school pitch, where Gus was able to show and describe the new outdoor practice area which has been specially designed for Middlesex to replicate the Lords slope. The facility was laid in the Autumn of 2023 and has been lovingly nurtured since, and will be used by Middlesex’s professional teams this summer and beyond.
The group were then taken into the outdoor practice marquee, in which the team will start pre-season training from next week. In the marquee we were able to speak to Hitch, the groundsman, who was putting the finishing touches to the pitches the players will use. The temperature inside was considerably different to that outside - a balmy 20 degrees – which prompted many of us to remove a layer or two.
On arriving at the Indoor Centre, we were greeted by the Club's Operations Director, Lorraine Poole, and were joined by seven more members, who pointed us in the direction of some much needed refreshments, in the form of tea and coffee.
We then spent a very enjoyable hour watching the players go through their pre-season practice drills from the vantage point of the elevated Alvan Seth-Smith viewing gallery. We were joined in the gallery by Director of Cricket, Alan Coleman, First Team Coach, Richard Johnson, and Club legend, Clive Radley, who chatted to us informally in small groups. On leaving many members, once again, said how much they had enjoyed the event.
Our thanks are due to Gus Fraser, Lorraine Poole, and Grace West of Middlesex and also to Merchant Taylors School for making this event happen.
Further Walk | Talk | Connect events will be taking place during the coming season so keep an eye out for them on the website.
Martin Hadland
